Adventures in Kalos
by DictumYeti
Summary: Ash Ketchum has been traveling in the Pokémon world for 7 years in many different regions. Now, he sets eyes on the Kalos Region, where he will meet new friends and reunite with one from years ago. Will Ash finally win a Pokémon League? (Contains Amourshipping, smarter and older Ash, lightly follows the anime.)
1. Chapter 1: Arrival in Lumiose

**Welcome everyone to the first chapter of Adventures in Kalos!**

**I will try to make this different from the anime for the most part, but it'll follow it loosely for the first part. Once again I'm sorry, but that's how it is.**

**Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Pokemon, so don't sue me...please**

* * *

"Attention passengers, we are approaching our destination. Please fasten all seatbelts for the final descent into Lumiose City"

The announcement over the plane's intercom was enough to rouse Ash from his sleep. He took off his cap and ran his hand through his unkempt, jet-black hair. He looked down to see his lifelong partner and best friend resting on his lap. The electric mouse opened its eyes and looked up at its friend, before cooing, "Pikachu". Ash smiled at the mouse and asked, "Well Pikachu, are you ready for another journey to begin here in the Kalos region?" Ash received an affirmative nod from Pikachu before gently itching under its chin, Pikachu's favorite spot. The duo looked to the young woman seated next to them, Alexa. She was a native of the Kalos region and a skilled reporter as well, and she gave the Helioptile wrapped around her neck a small pat on the head before saying to Ash, "We've almost finished our journey together Ash, but I can expect a great chapter in your life is about to begin."

Ash looked at Alexa and said, "It sure is, another new region and a new league for me to face, I'm really excited for what's about to come." He looked out of the window and out to the world as the sun lethargically made its way up over the East and shed light on the land below. Ash looked out at the beauty and said, to nobody in particular, "It's time for me to go out there and come one step closer to achieving my dream."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the small Kalosian town of Vaniville, there was one person still dreaming. Serena Gabena grasped a hold of her pillow, hugging it close to her body as she slept. Her long, golden hair was strewn across her back, covering her body in a blanket of honey locks. She rolled over and pulled her sheets up over her head. A small red and grey bird, came into her room through the slightly cracked doorway, and landed on her sleeping head. It looked down and gave a hard peck on the top of Serena's head. Her shill screams could be heard downstairs by her mother, Grace, who was busy in the kitchen, whipping up a small breakfast for her daughter, "I told her that I would send Fletchling up there if she didn't get up to practice racing with Rhyhorn. I guess sometimes she just never learns."

Serena looked up angrily at Fletchling before yelling, "Why do you always have to wake me up like that, can't you just give me a light tap or something?!" She received an inquisitive glance from the Fletchling before it flew back and landed on the table a few feet away from Serena. Serena got up slowly and lunged at the bird, missing it entirely and falling face first onto the tabletop. She could hear Grace call from downstairs, "What's all the commotion? Stop trying to strangle Fletchling and get ready for Rhyhorn race practice. I even made you breakfast."

"Okay, I'm coming."

She looked at the Fletchling and threatened while rubbing her nose, "Don't think that I'm done with you though."

* * *

Ash stepped out of the plane and down the steps that protruded from the aircraft. He took a deep breath as Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder. "You smell that buddy? That's the smell of victory!"

"Actually Ash, that's the smell of jet fuel, but I can see where you're mistaken."

Ash looked back to see Alexa coming down from the plane. He looked at her and asked, "So Alexa, where are you headed to from here?"

"I'm actually headed to Santalune City to visit my sister, Viola. I'll probably be seeing you there soon, considering she is the gym leader there."

"That will be my next stop! I'm first gonna look around a bit here in Lumiose City, just to see if I can find any great things for Pikachu and I to do for our first day here in Kalos."

"Well if you need some suggestions I have a couple that might interest you. Professor Sycamore has his research lab here in town, you could go and talk to him. There's also a gym in the Prism tower. I've never been there, but I've heard the gym leader is a strong, electric type trainer."

"You had me sold at Pokémon gym! So, I guess this is where we go our separate ways?"

"For now at least. I'll see you in Santalune City."

They and their Pokémon exchanged a friendly handshake and walked off in different directions. Ash was a little sad to see Alexa leave, it seems that after 7 years on the road he still couldn't really take a goodbye, but at least he had Pikachu with him. Ash looked at Pikachu and said, "Well buddy, are you ready to challenge our first gym leader in Kalos?" The Pokémon looked at him and replied in affirmation. Ash shouted, "Well then, let's get a move on!" as he ran on towards Prism Tower.

* * *

Serena was now clad in a pink riding jumpsuit and her long golden hair was tied back so as not to get into her face while she was riding Rhyhorn. She quickly finished the breakfast that her mother had made and stepped out the back door. Her mother was waiting by a clearing with her Rhyhorn all saddled and ready for a day of grueling, riding practice. "Took you long enough Serena, now come on and get onto Rhyhorn, we've got some work to do to make you a strong Rhyhorn racer." Serena looked at her mother and gave a strong sigh. Yeah, because I really want to be a Rhyhorn racer like you Mom, she thought. Serena stepped over to Rhyhorn and patted it on its horn. "Alright, Rhyhorn, are you ready?" she asked, all she received was a single gruff grunt from the Rhyhorn. "Okay… I'll take that as a yes." Her mother's Rhyhorn was not exactly the type that allowed anyone but Grace to ride it, but after Grace gave up professional racing to become a coach, Grace decided that Serena could learn to ride the best of the best.

Serena stepped up and mounted the Spikes Pokémon. As she took the reins she felt a sharp tug from Rhyhorn, and she knew she was in trouble. "Oh boy, Rhyhorn please don't do this again!" The Rhyhorn began to buck and jump in an attempt to get Serena off of its back. Grace looked on and shouted with vigor, "Don't worry Serena! You have to show your power, you have to be strong in your conviction. Look forward with your mouth closed! Be one with Rhyhorn!" As she said this, Rhyhorn managed to buck off Serena, sending her face forward into the dirt. Grace gave a slight sigh before saying, "Or not…" Serena crawled forward in front of her mother and said softly, "Mom… I really hate this."

* * *

Ash rounded the corner, thinking about battle strategies he could use against the gym leader, and what Pokémon they would use. As he was thinking, he nearly ran into a blond, teenaged boy in a blue electrical jumpsuit and glasses and a young, blonde girl walking together along the street. "Oops I'm sorry, I must have been too busy thinking about my strategy for my upcoming gym battle." Ash said to the two of them. The boy spoke first, "Heh, it's quite alright, but I don't think you'll have to worry about the gym battle anytime soon."

"Why is that?"

"Well you see, the gym is kinda closed right now due to construction. I'm sorry about that."

"Dang, I was looking forward to challenging the gym leader. Oh well, I guess I could find something else to do here in the meantime."

"Hey, I know, my sister Bonnie and I could show you around town! I'm Clemont by the way!"

Ash looked at Clemont, "You really mean that? I'd really like it if you would! My name is Ash Ketchum!" Neither of the two young men had been paying attention to Clemont's younger sister, as Bonnie was staring intently at Pikachu. She yelled ecstatically to Ash, "I've never seen a Pikachu before Ash, can I please hug it?"

"Um sure, if that's alright with Pikachu."

"Yay!"

Bonnie grabbed Pikachu and gave it a tight squeeze, which prompted an unexpected electric shock from Pikachu. "Whoops, I think you hugged Pikachu a little too tight." Ash said to the little girl as she released Pikachu. "Yeah, but it's so cute, I just love cute Pokémon. Do you have any other Pokémon with you Ash?"

"Not with me, I usually go to a new region with just Pikachu. It's mostly to make a ton of new friends on our journey."

"Aww. Well at least I got to see Pikachu!"

Clemont looked at Ash and said, "Bonnie and I were going to talk to Professor Sycamore real quick, would you like to join us?"

"Sure, I actually wanted to go to his research lab, I'm always interested in the research these Pokémon professors are doing."

Bonnie grabbed Ash's hand and said with a huge smile, "Then let's go! I heard the professor has all sorts of awesome Pokémon living at the lab! I just can't wait to be a trainer so I can have a Pokémon of my own!" Ash just gave a smile to Bonnie as the three humans and Pikachu began to make their way to the laboratory.

The Pokémon lab was a very large building with a giant glass dome on one side. Its position in the city meant that the Pokémon that lived there did not have a wide-open area to play, so that glass dome acted as a small preserve, to allow them to get sunshine and play during the day. Ash opened the huge doors into a foyer filled with bookshelves overflowing with research papers and books. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Ash yelled out into the empty room. A taller man with flowing dark brown hair poked his head out from the second floor and said, "Welcome to the Lumiose Pokémon Lab! I'm Professor Sycamore. I've met Bonnie and Clemont, but I've never seen you before. Are you new to Lumiose?"

"I am, my name is Ash Ketchum. I actually am originally from Pallet Town in Kanto, but I'm here to take part in the Kalos League."

"Well let me welcome you to Kalos. Since you're from Pallet, I'm sure you've heard of Professor Oak."

"Yeah, he was actually the one to give me this little guy right here as my first Pokémon."

"Well aren't you lucky. Not many get to meet the great Samuel Oak."

Professor Sycamore walked down the stairs and shook Ash's hand. He then turned to Clemont and asked, "So, what brings you here Clemont. I heard about the shutdown of the gym, hopefully the construction will end sooner rather than later."

"That's actually why I'm here, I would like you to take care of my Heliolisk and Magneton. It's hard when they don't have the gym to live in, I don't have enough room at home to let them stretch their legs, or magnets as it may be."

"Well I will take them for you, they will be great here."

"Thanks very much Professor."

Ash looked at Clemont and said, "So you're the gym leader of this city, Clemont."

"Indeed I am, though I would much rather spend my time working on my inventions, I love to make machines that help Pokémon and people alike."

"So what are you gonna do until the gym is fixed?"

"Well, it only should be a couple days, it'll give me a good amount of time to work on my projects at home."

Clemont then turned to Sycamore and handed him two Poké balls. Ash looked at Sycamore and asked, "If you don't mind me asking Professor, what do you research here?" Sycamore looked at Ash and said, "C'mon, I'll show you."

They walked along the hallway until they reached a room with a group of lab workers putting sensors onto a large blue, dragon-like Pokémon, a Garchomp. This Garchomp was a bit smaller than the one Cynthia had, but by no stretch of the imagination was any Garchomp a pushover in strength and speed. The Garchomp turned to see the incoming visitors and gave a wide smile and motioned the group to join it. Sycamore turned around to Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie and said, "Here is the heart of my work, I study Pokémon Mega Evolution."

Ash was the first to speak up, "Mega Evolution, what is that?" Sycamore walked up to the Garchomp and patted its head while saying, "Well we have received information that many Pokémon have the ability to evolve past their final evolutionary stage through their bond with a human partner, though this evolution is a momentary thing and the Pokémon reverts back to their old state after they are done being used."

"Wow, that sounds so amazing! How does it work?"

"Well, we are almost certain that it requires a strong bond between a certain Pokémon and his partner, as well as two stones, one 'Key Stone' held by the human and one evolution stone held by the Pokémon. We have had reports of only a few, fully-evolved Pokémon being able to do this, namely Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Lucario, Absol, Gardevoir, Abomasnow, and of course Garchomp amongst many others."

"Wow, so my Charizard might be able to Mega Evolve."

"With the right stones, yes."

Ash slowly stepped up to Garchomp "So, you and the Professor have known each other for a while now."

"Gar."

"You're so strong, but you don't look like you would hurt a fly."

As Ash slowly pets Garchomp, he thinks about the Pokémon that he would be able to Mega Evolve that lived back at Professor Oak's ranch. It was at that moment when he got an idea. "Hey, Professor, do you have a phone I could use, I need to speak to Professor Oak."

"Yeah, sure. The phone is down the hall on the right."

"Thanks! I won't be long!"

Sycamore looked at Clemont and Bonnie as Ash ran down the hallway, "Well, until then would you guys like to go to the preserve? We have some new Pokémon living there." Bonnie was the first to speak up, "Really? I would love to see them Professor! Can we go Clemont?" Clemont sheepishly grinned as Bonnie tugged on his blue jumpsuit, "Sure, I would like to see the Pokémon that will be playing with my Heliolisk and Magneton while the gym is under construction."

Bonnie tugged Clemont slowly along to the glass preservation in the lab. Inside of the glass dome was a large clear pond, surrounded by small trees and playground equipment. Dozens of Pokémon were playing or lounging around everywhere in the preserve. Bonnie watched as a small group of Pichu ran around her legs while a Raichu, their mother, gave chase. "Wow, a Raichu and its family! That's so cool!" Bonnie began to chase around the family of electric mouse Pokémon. Sycamore took out Clemont's Poké balls and released the two Pokémon in a stream of white light. Clemont looked at the two electric types before him and said, "You two are gonna live here for a little bit, so get yourself acquainted with all of the others!" The two Pokémon nodded in response and ran off to find some new friends in the preserve. "They'll be fine here Clemont, they can stay as long as they like!"

"Thanks Professor, this really means a lot to me."

As they stood there, admiring all of the different types of Pokémon living together, Ash ran into the preserve and said, "Okay I'm back!" Bonnie ran up to the young man, covered with Pichu hanging on her neck and shoulders, and said, "What did you talk to Professor Oak about, Ash?" He gave a smirk and stated, "Let me show you!" He pulled out a Poké ball and released a small, blue dragon Pokémon, his Gible that he caught in Sinnoh. "Wow, I didn't know that you had a Gible, Ash! It's so cute." Bonnie rushed up to the small Land Shark Pokémon, which gave her a curious glance before launching itself up and latching onto her head. Bonnie shrieked and ran around with the dragon/ground type still gripping its jaws on her head. "It seems Gible likes you, Bonnie! It's always got a weird way of showing its affection." Ash said while he tried to stifle a laugh. Bonnie managed to pull off the Gible before saying, "I guess love can hurt!" and gave it a tight hug, "You're so cute, Gible!"

Ash turned to Sycamore and Clemont and said, "Yeah, when I heard about Mega Evolution I wanted to see if I could do it myself. Gible and I are close, but we can and will get closer, and when it feels ready enough to evolve, then we can see about finding those stones." Sycamore looked at Ash and said, "Well, I guess you're helping me on my research then. Speaking of research, I should get back to Garchomp, would you like to join me for my next experiment?"

"We sure would, Professor! Clemont, Bonnie c'mon."

Clemont looked at Ash and said, "We'll be there in a sec, Bonnie seems to be having too much fun with those Pichu." Ash looked down at Gible and said, "Alright Gible, let's go see what you and I can learn about Mega Evolution." The Pokémon jumped onto Ash's head, jaws first, before being sucked back into the Poké ball as Ash, Pikachu, and Sycamore left the preserve to work on the Professor's research. They reached the lab to see that the lab staff was larger than it had been before. There were 3 newcomers, one taller male, a woman, and a short, stout man. Sycamore spoke to one of the assistants, "Who are these three? I've never seen them before."

"They said that they are some Mega Evolution researchers from Kanto, they came earlier than we anticipated."

"Well this is quite a bit unexpected, I didn't think the researchers from Saffron to be here for another week. Well, they do have good timing, let's get this experiment started."

The researchers brought out two stones, one was larger and blue with red streaks, and the other was a smaller, rainbow-colored one. Both had identical helix patterns within the stone themselves. Ash looked at the two stones and said, "Professor, are these what I think they are?"

"Yes, this is a Key Stone and Garchomp's evolution stone, a Garchompite."

"Wow, how did you get these?"

"I have friends in places. Where I got them is not the point, what matters is what happens here and now. This is a real big step for my research."

Sycamore gave the larger blue stone to Garchomp and took the smaller one in his own hand. He looked at Garchomp and said, "Are you ready, my friend? Today is a great day for science, and the future of humans and Pokémon alike."

Sycamore raised the Key Stone up high and shouted out, "Garchomp, it's time to Mega Evolve!"

A bright white light began to envelop Garchomp, the stone in its hand vanished. The Pokémon grew taller, its back fin grew more pronounced as did its claws. It's jaw grew more pronounced, and it opened its mouth as the light burst, leaving a larger, stronger Garchomp than any Ash had ever seen. The Pokémon roared mightily, as it stepped forward and looked at Ash and Sycamore. The three researchers from Kanto smirked, as the woman in the three said, "Now our plan has begun." They threw off their lab coats to reveal an outfit with a large red "R" on the front. The smaller of the three revealed itself to be a cream colored cat with a golden, oval-shaped coin on its forehead. Ash saw the three and yelled out with a snarl, "Team Rocket! How did I know that you would follow me to the Kalos Region?"

"Well, you should always be prepared for trouble."

"Make that double."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight."

"Meowth, that's right."

James took off the wig to reveal his blue hair said, "Relax, we're not here for Pikachu at the moment, we're here for this Garchomp." He threw a small device that wrapped itself around the Garchomp's neck. The device tightened on Garchomp's neck and started to electrocute the Pokemon. Jesse spoke up, "This mind control device will allow us to use Garchomp as our own, and then all will fear Team Rocket." However, Meowth looked at the Garchomp, who was getting angered by the collar rather than being controlled by it. "Um… Jesse? James? I think that the collar isn't working, and that Garchomp looks to be rather angry at the moment."

Just as Meowth spoke, the Garchomp launched a massive beam of energy from its mouth at the three Rocket members. The blast was enough to launch the trio through the roof and far away from the Pokémon lab with their final cry of "Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Clemont and Bonnie ran into the lab right as the Rockets "left". "What happened?!" Clemont shouted. Sycamore looked at him and said, "Three thieves were planning to steal Garchomp from us, but they underestimated the power of a Mega Garchomp." They all smiled at the Garchomp, but the look they received was not so compassionate. The Garchomp stared angrily at the group and roared. Sycamore shouted, "No! Garchomp is in serious pain from the collar, and it can't control itself! Everyone get down!" Garchomp roared again and shot another beam of energy that destroyed all of the lab equipment and opened a large hole in the wall, leading outside to the street. Garchomp used this opportunity to charge through the hole and fly out into the waning day. Ash ran after it and yelled, "We have to stop it, Garchomp is in way too much pain to know what its doing!" Bonnie ran after Ash and said, "C'mon Clemont, we have to help Ash!" Clemont slowly ran after them "I'm coming, but don't wait up on me!"

Garchomp used the wind currents in the city to fly towards Prism tower. It lost all control of its own body as pain surged through it. It fired another Hyper Beam at the ground, and wrecked the streets below it. The wind began to blow harder, and Garchomp couldn't maintain control and crashed into Prism Tower. The sun was beginning to set on the western horizon, and the lights in the city slowly flickered on. A single helicopter loomed above Prism tower, with a small camera crew filming the rampage of the Mega Evolved Garchomp.

* * *

Serena was busy dusting herself off from today's practice. Her mother made her work with Rhyhorn all day, and she was covered with bruises and scrapes from the countless times that she had been bucked off. She was busy nursing her wounds with a wet cloth as her mother called from downstairs, "Serena come down here, you have to see what's happening in Lumiose City!" Serena walked downstairs and said, "Well, you have to see what happened to my face. I look like a Skitty's scratch post right now!" Her mother slowly looked away, slightly embarrassed. She regained her composure before saying, "Look though, a weird looking Garchomp has gone on a rampage in Lumiose City. It's stopped moving at the mid section of Prism Tower."

"Wow, I hope everyone is alright. Someone has to stop that Garchomp."

* * *

"I have to stop that Garchomp!" Ash cried as he reached Prism Tower. He saw Garchomp about halfway up the tower launching Hyper Beams around the city. Ash looked around to find a way that he could get up to stop it. Pikachu pointed towards the scaffolding that wrapped around the first ten floors of the tower. "Great thinking Pikachu, we can climb up that scaffold, but how will we get higher than that?" Pikachu looked around and saw an external ladder that scaled most of the building. "That's the way, let's go Pikachu!"

They were a couple floors up the scaffolding when Clemont and Bonnie reached the tower. "Look Clemont, Ash is climbing up the tower to go save Garchomp, I can't believe how brave he is when it comes to helping a Pokémon!"

Clemont watched as Ash scaled the walls of Prism Tower. He sure did have a lot to learn from this trainer who would risk life and limb to help someone in need. Clemont would show that he was no different, that he could be just as brave. He spoke up,"I have to get up there Bonnie! Ash needs my help!"

"What? Then I'm going with you!"

"Bonnie, I can't let you do that."

"I'm not gonna let you stop me, we're both friends with Ash here!"

Clemont gave a slight nod, and they began to climb up after Ash and Pikachu, who were already at the top of the scaffolding. As Ash began to climb up the exterior ladder, Garchomp fired a Hyper Beam that hit the planks below him. The framework began to crumble and break as it dislodged from the tower. Clemont and Bonnie saw this happen and Clemont yelled, "Bonnie, we have to get down now, the platform is coming down!" They rushed back down as fast as they could while the floor creaked and groaned. It slowly began to tip over, snapping wooden planks and bending metal, Clemont and Bonnie were out of time to escape the falling scaffolding as they reached the ground. Clemont decided that now was as good a time as any to try out his new Pokémon. He took out a Poké Ball and released a small brown colored rabbit-like Pokémon, a Bunnelby "Bunnelby we need your help, use Dig and make a hole deep enough to protect Bonnie and I!" The digging Pokémon quickly finished its duty, and Clemont and Bonnie stepped into the hole. "Wait Clemont, what if something comes down right on top of us!"

"I've got a plan, I'll use my Aipom arm to cover us with a plank! We'll be safe Bonnie, I promise!"

Clemont extended a long, mechanical arm from his backpack and grabbed one of the larger wooden boards off of the scaffolding, he set it on top of the hole they were in and held it in place with his Aipom arm. The scaffold reached a tipping point, pulling bits of concrete from Prism tower down with it. It fell with a giant crash on the street, cracking asphalt and uprooting the trees around it. Ash looked down at the destruction that Garchomp's Hyper Beam created, "I hope that Clemont and Bonnie are safe. Let's stop Garchomp, Pikachu, before it hurts somebody."

Garchomp saw the trainer reach its perch, it shot a Hyper Beam at the young man but missed due to sheer exhaustion. Garchomp doubled over and let out a pained roar before being launched upward by another gust of wind. It reached the top of Prism tower and landed on its knees, clawing at the collar in an attempt to stop the excruciating pain. Ash looked up at the Garchomp and back at Pikachu, "C'mon buddy, we have to go to the top of Prism Tower!"

* * *

Serena watched as the Garchomp flew up to the top of Prism tower, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the television. She saw as a young man clad in blue and his Pikachu climbed after the Pokémon, her mother also saw the teen and asked, "I wonder who that is, could that be Garchomp's trainer?" Serena looked at the trainer and thought, _that guy looks so familiar, where have I seen him before_? She stared intently at the screen, watching the trainer climb the ladder up to the top of the tower. "I hope he doesn't get himself hurt, but I want to see him help that Garchomp."

* * *

Ash once again reached Garchomp, but this time it couldn't go any higher. The Garchomp was on its knees, attempting to stand up again. Ash could see that the collar was taking its toll on the Pokémon, who was slowly wavering in and out of consciousness. Ash looked to Pikachu, "We need to hit that collar, give it your strongest Iron Tail." Garchomp looked up as Pikachu ran towards it, the mouse Pokémon's tail glowing with a white light. Garchomp once again fired a Hyper Beam in an attempt to stop the Pokémon's advance, but Pikachu was able to dodge the attack. The mouse jumped up and struggled to slam its tail down onto the collar, but Garchomp stood up and gave Pikachu a headbutt, which launched it higher up into the air. Pikachu came back down again and connected the attack with Garchomp's collar. The collar was sliced in two, and fell off of Garchomp's neck. The Pokémon reverted back to its original form, and slowly stepped backward, teetering off of the edge of the tower. Ash could see that the Pokémon was about to fall off and ran to help, shouting, "Garchomp, please stay awake! You'll fall!" The Garchomp closed its eyes and fell backward off of the tower. Ash and Pikachu jumped after the unconscious Pokémon.

* * *

Serena watched in utter horror as the three fell from the tower. Their fall seemed like it was happening in slow motion, and tears began to form in her eye. Her mother sat next to her with her hands covering her face, it seems like she wasn't able to watch this man plummet to his death. Serena looked down, she couldn't watch what would happen next.

* * *

Ash grabbed Garchomp as they fell and yelled, "Please Garchomp wake up, we need you to wake up!" He looked at Pikachu and shouted, "Quick buddy, use your strongest thunderbolt to wake Garchomp up! It needs to wake up or we'll all die!" Pikachu gathered electricity and launched the attack at the Garchomp. The attack also hit Ash, but it was a small price to pay if they didn't wake up the Pokémon. Garchomp slowly opened its eyes and looked at Ash, the attack was not able to affect it, considering it's secondary typing in ground, but it was enough to jolt it awake. Garchomp summoned all of the strength that it had to open up its arms and catch the draft, enough to slow their descent. It then tried to turn over so that it would take the brunt of the crash and spare Ash and Pikachu, it was the least it could do to protect the ones that saved it. They landed on the ground in a plume of dust and asphalt. Ash looked up to see that he and Pikachu were alright, but when he looked down at Garchomp, he saw the pain that it was in. "Garchomp, are you alright?" The Pokémon looked up and gave an affirmative sigh before laying his head down on the ground. The impact was not enough to hurt Garchomp, and it was satisfied that it was able to protect Ash and Pikachu. Professor Sycamore ran up to the three and said, "I'm so happy that you're alright, how's Garchomp?"

"Garchomp is fine now, he saved us all."

"No Ash, you saved Garchomp! If it wasn't for you it would have killed itself up on that tower. I have to thank you. Right now we need to get Garchomp a bed at the Pokémon Center."

* * *

Serena looked up at the television to see that the trainer and the two Pokémon were alive, "Oh boy, what a relief that was. Mom, today has been way too intense for me!" She saw the camera give a close up of the trainer's smiling face. "Wait a minute, that can't be him can it?" she looked at the young trainer's face, one that she hadn't seen in a long time. She knew what she had to do, it had been 6 years since she was able to become a trainer, but she had put it off to live at home with her mother. Now though, Serena knew that she was going to get a Pokémon and meet the boy that she knew from her childhood.

* * *

It was the next morning, Ash had yet to really see the damage that Garchomp had done, but in the light of day he could see that the lab had been demolished by Garchomp's attacks. He looked over to his friends sitting at a table and enjoying breakfast. Clemont and Bonnie were thankfully alright after the scaffolding crashed. Ash was amazed that Clemont thought of such a clever way to keep him and Bonnie safe. Ash looked at the young inventor and asked, "Hey Clemont, what are you planning on doing now that the gym's construction has received a 'minor' delay?"

"Well Ash, you see Bonnie and I were actually wondering if we could travel with you? You have shown how much you truly care about Pokémon, and we could learn a lot from each other on the journey."

"It would be an honor Clemont. Besides, traveling is always more fun with friends!"

Bonnie rushed up to Ash and grabbed his hand, "Yay! Ash if you catch any cute Pokémon can you let me take care of them?"

"Sure Bonnie, would you like to start with Pikachu? He loves it when you pet his tail."

"I would love to Ash! Thank you so much!"

Bonnie took Pikachu and started to brush its tail vigorously. "Oh man, Pikachu. You're fur is all covered in dirt and grime. I'm gonna make sure that you look perfect once I'm done with you, Pikachu."

Pikachu looked at Ash in a way that said "You've betrayed me" before Ash said one last thing to Bonnie, "Oh, and Pikachu loves ketchup, you wouldn't mind treating it for me would you?" The Pokémon looked back at Ash, forgiving him for his misdemeanor over the promise of that sweet, red sauce. It smiled at its trainer and took the intense brushing that it was being given.

Professor Sycamore came into the room and said to Ash, "I just want to thank you again for all of what you've done. As a sincere token of my appreciation I would like you to take this Pokédex and one of the Kalos starters, here take a look." 3 small Pokémon came out from around the corner to come into Ash's view. "This one…" Sycamore pointed to a small green Pokémon that looked like a chipmunk, "… is Chespin, the Spiky Nut Pokémon, it's the grass type starter."

"This one…" Sycamore gestures to a blue, frog-like Pokémon "… is Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon and water type starter of Kalos."

"And last but not least is this one…" Sycamore points to a yellow and red fox Pokémon "… Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon, and rounding out the trio at the fire type starter."

Sycamore once again looked at Ash and said, "So which Pokémon will you choose?"

Ash looked at all three of his choices, thinking for a long while as to which partner he would choose. "I've finally decided on… Froakie." Ash extended his hand out to the Pokémon, who jumped up on Ash's arm and onto his shoulder.

"Good choice Ash, and here is your Pokédex." Sycamore said as he handed Ash the handheld device. "Good luck on your journey, all of you. Come back anytime!"

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all grabbed their things and left the Pokémon lab together on their way to Santalune City.

* * *

Serena was busy picking out the clothes that she would wear on her trip to Lumiose, she had decided on a gray, sleeveless blouse with a white collar and her favorite red skirt, but she wanted to pick the right hat to truly complete the outfit. Her mother came in to see Serena contemplating between two hats, a red beret or a pink felt hat with a black bow. "Serena, just wear the beret, I think it looks great on you."

"Thanks for helping me decide on wearing the pink one, Mom."

Grace mumbled incoherently before saying, "Where are you going anyway, dressed like this?"

"To Lumiose City of course, I want to get my very first Pokémon!"

"Hmm… Is this about that boy last night on the television, I could see your demeanor change after seeing him."

Serena blushed, _Leave it to my Mom to call me out on a boy,_ "No, it's just that I'm 16 now, and I want to explore the Kalos region as a Pokémon trainer" _And get away from practicing Rhyhorn racing._

"Alright, but please be careful out there, and try not to get caught up with boys, the last thing I would want is to have you come home with a boyfriend in tow."

"Mom!"

"I'm just stating, that's it. Do you have everything you need for the journey?"

Serena looked into her pink backpack and said, "Yep, everything is here." She went up to her mother and gave Grace a big hug before rushing out the door and towards Lumiose City. _I'm so excited to see what is about to happen on my journey, and to finally get to see HIM again._

* * *

**Well, how was the first chapter? Yes it is a lot like the anime I know, but don't worry it will be different-ish from here (the anime has some good ideas). Thanks for reading and leave a review, comment, or question if you have any!**


	2. Chapter 2: First Catch

**So I just really wanted to get another chapter out into the wild, seeing as I only had one for everyone to read. This one is a little shorter than the previous but it's still about 4,400 words. I wanted to make the chapters have an average of 5,000+ words so that you guys have some substance to read every time I update.**

**So without further ado, here is Chapter 2: First Catch**

* * *

Serena had finally arrived in Lumiose City. The hustle of all the people in the big city was very different than the small town of Vaniville. She watched as cars and buses went by in the streets, carrying their passengers to all corners of the city. In the distance she could see the heights of Prism Tower, a giant amongst most of the buildings in the city. She would have loved to take a stroll down Vernal Avenue to window shop all of the exquisite fashion stores, or to get a delicious lunch in one of the many different cafés that the city had to offer, but at the moment she was looking forward to getting her first Pokémon from Professor Sycamore.

As she made her way to the lab, she saw the destruction that the Garchomp wreaked on this area of the city. There were large areas of the street that were ripped apart, with pieces of asphalt and concrete thrown 20 feet down the street. Many buildings had serious structural damage, with some being torn down to the supports. It looked like a tornado had come through and ransacked the entire area. Serena looked at the relatively "unscathed" lab, considering it only had a few blown out windows and a large hole in one of the walls. "Wow, is this all that one Garchomp can do?" She said as she approached the front door.

Serena walked into the lab's foyer and was incredibly surprised with what she saw before her. The room was full of papers and books strewn about the ground intertwined with piece of wood that used to be bookshelves. The walls were cracked from the shockwave of Garchomp blowing out the façade with a Hyper Beam. Professor Sycamore came into the room to see the young woman standing there. "Hello there, I'm Professor Sycamore. You must be Serena Gabena. You're mother called earlier and said you were coming to receive your first Pokémon. Sorry about the mess by the way."

"It's quite alright, I saw what happened on the news last night. Professor, who was the trainer that managed to calm down the Garchomp?"

"Oh, you're talking about Ash Ketchum, he's a trainer about your age from Pallet town."

_So it is Ash! I knew it! I'm so excited to see him._

"Last I heard he was headed to Santalune City to get his first gym badge."

"Santalune City huh? Well Professor, I'm ready to get my very first Pokémon."

"Ah, splendid! Let's get the three choices out here for you! I'm sure you know about all of them by now."

The three Kalos starters made their way in front of Serena and Sycamore followed closely by one of the lab technicians. "Well Serena, here you go. One of these three Pokémon will become your new lifelong partner. Choose wisely." Serena looked at all three of the Pokémon before she turned to Sycamore. "They're all great choices, but I already knew which one I wanted before I came."

Serena kneeled in front of the fire fox, "Well Fennekin, what do you say? Do you want to join me on my journey?"

The Pokémon looked at its new trainer with a gleam in its eye. Finally it would go on an adventure with its own trainer and see far away lands, it leaped into Serena's arms and licked her face. "Fennekin, we're gonna have so many great adventures together."

"Fennekin!"

Sycamore smiled at the duo, "Looks like you two will have a great time together. Before I forget, Serena, let me give you your Poké balls and Pokédex." He handed her the 5 red and white balls and the small handheld Pokémon searching device. "And finally here is Fennekin's Poké ball, now go out there and explore the world of Pokémon."

"Thanks Professor. C'mon Fennekin, let's go!"

As she walked out the door all she could think about was how Ash would act when he finally saw her again, would he be surprised? Confused? Interested?

* * *

"Man I'm hungry." Ash moped. The four traveling companions were busy walking through a path carved into a dense forest. Bonnie looked at him and said, "Yeah me too. Clemont can we please stop and eat?"

"Sure Bonnie, let's stop here and have some lunch. I've got all of my cooking utensils with me so I can fill us all up."

They stopped in a clearing with a small picnic table shaded by a large apple tree. Clemont began to heat water in a pot as Ash released all of his Pokémon. "Alright you guys, let's get you some lunch."

All of the Pokémon cheered as Ash and Bonnie set out plates for Pikachu, Gible, Froakie, and Bunnelby. Bonnie and Ash sat with the Pokémon as Clemont finished making lunch for the human members. All three of them started eating under the shade of the tree, not knowing that they were being watched by a small mouse Pokémon from the tree above. The Pokémon was busy gnawing on an apple as it curiously watched the group. It leaned forward too far though, and dropped the apple on Ash's head. "Oww…what was that?" Ash looked up to see the small Pokémon fall down in front of Bonnie. Bonnie stared at the strange Pokémon and yelled, "It's a Dedenne! You're such a cutie aren't you?"

Ash looked at the small Pokémon before pulling out his Pokédex to look it up. The Pokédex chirped to signal it was on and started to speak to Ash about the Pokémon, "Dedenne, the Antenna Pokémon: Dedenne communicates long distance with other Dedenne by sending radio waves through its antenna-like whiskers."

"Wow, so I'm guessing that it's an Electric type."

"Not only that Ash, but its also a Fairy type." Clemont spoke up. Ash looked at Clemont with a questioning expression and asked, "Is that a new type of Pokémon?"

"Yeah. Scientists just recently discovered this new type, and its shared amongst many already discovered Pokémon. Apparently Dragon types are at a serious disadvantage against them, I've never seen a Fairy type fight a Dragon type first hand though."

"Wow that's really cool, why don't you try to catch Dedenne then, Clemont?"

It was Bonnie's turn to interject, "Yeah, catch it Clemont! Let me take care of it, I want to take care of my first Pokémon!" Clemont looked sheepishly at his zealous young sister and nodded, saying, "You guys are right. Besides, I do specialize in electric types." Clemont looked over to Bunnelby and said, "Alright, Bunnelby, let's catch this Dedenne for Bonnie!"

Bunnelby stepped forward and readied itself to fight the Dedenne. However as Bunnelby prepared to fight, the Dedenne had different plans. The small Pokémon crawled up into Bonnie's hands and fell asleep. Clemont pulled out a Poké ball and said, "Well, this might be easier than I thought." He touched the Pokémon on the head with the ball. A red light wrapped around the Pokémon and sucked it into the ball. The ball wriggled a couple times and dinged to signal that the Pokémon had been caught. Ash watched with slight amusement and said, "Well… I guess you caught Dedenne after all! Great work, I think."

Clemont released the small Pokémon, who appeared from its Poké ball and quickly curled up against Bonnie and fell asleep again. "Look how cute you are, I've got a satchel here that we'll put you in!" Bonnie gently lifted the mouse and placed it into her yellow satchel that she carried across her body. The Pokémon slightly shifted and closed the front flap, giving it complete darkness to take its nap. Bonnie looked up at Clemont and whispered, "Thank you Big Brother, I promise that I will take good care of Dedenne!" Clemont patted his sister on the shoulder and said, "I'm sure you will. Now, let's finishing eating lunch before it gets cold."

After they had finished lunch, they continued walking along for a few hours, and decided to stop for the day. Even though there were a few hours of daylight left, they decided to stop early and get up early the next day. Clemont set up camp and began to tinker on a project that he was working on. Ash and his Pokémon went out to a nearby creek to train for their upcoming match against Alexa's sister, Viola before the sun set on the horizon. "Alright Gible, you better not have become soft after staying on Professor Oak's ranch for so long. Let's see that awesome Draco Meteor on those rocks!"

Gible looked at the rocks Ash pointed at and launched a ball of energy high up into the air. When the ball reached its apex, it burst into many smaller pieces and rained down on the group of rocks, completely pulverizing every rock it aimed at. "Wow Gible, that was really strong, you have been practicing that attack haven't you?"

Instead of giving a traditional answer, Gible once again jumped onto Ash's head and bit down. "Haha! I'll take that as a yes! Great work, Gible!"

Ash then turned to Froakie and said, "Let's see what tricks you have, Froakie. I want to see your Water Pulse and Bubble." Froakie looked at Ash with a look of conviction and jumped up high in the air. Ash was amazed at the speed at which it moved as it showed its attacks to him. Each individual power it showed hit the ground and launched dirt and rock a dozen feet up into the air. "Wow Froakie, you really are fast and strong to boot! We will do a lot of great things together, I can tell!"  
It looked at Ash and yelled "Froakie!" in agreement with Ash's statement.

Ash looked finally to the yellow mouse on his shoulder and said, "Alright Pikachu, it's your turn! Show me a full powered Thunderbolt!" Pikachu jumped off of Ash and into the air. It's cheeks sparked as it enveloped itself in lightning and arced it towards a nearby boulder. The move was powerful enough to burn a hole straight through the boulder, a feat of strength that was rivaled by only the strongest of electric type Pokémon. "That's the way Pikachu, I expected just as much from you!"

After Ash finished his training with his Pokémon, and returned Froakie and Gible back to their Poké balls, he noticed a small flock of bird Pokémon flying overhead. The flock landed down right in front of Ash to get a drink from the creek. Ash pulled out his Pokédex to learn about these small red and grey birds. The Pokédex spoke up, "Fletchling, the Tiny Robin Pokémon, although Fletchling's chirp is quite beautiful to hear, it is relentlessly tough with those who enter its territory."

Ash looked at the group of Fletchling in front of him and grabbed some Pokémon food out of his pack. He extended out his hand to feed the Tiny Robins, as no doubt they would want some food to go with their quick drink. As they were taking the bits of food from his palm, Ash noticed a blaze of fire speeding at him and the group of Fletchling. He jumped out of the way just in time to dodge the ball of fire as it hit the ground. Ash looked up to see a larger red bird where the fire had been, it looked angrily at the flock of Fletchling and let out a screech to intimidate the small birds. Ash pulled out his Pokédex again and pointed it at the bird. "Fletchinder, the Ember Pokémon, and the evolved form of Fletchling. Once in flight, Fletchinder can reach its top speed extremely quickly, giving it the edge in battle by attacking its opponents before they can get prepared."

The Fletchinder's arrival had scared off most of the Fletchling, who flew off into the trees in different directions. However, one single Fletchling remained and stared angrily at the larger bird. Ash could see that the two Pokémon were about to have a duel to see if the Fletchling could use the creek that was within the Fletchinder's territory. The Fletchinder flew up into the sky and came back down, completely incased in fire. "Wow, that's Fletchinder's Flame Charge, look how fast it moves!" Ash said to Pikachu. They could only watch the battle as the Fletchling managed to dodge out of the way, but the larger bird used its boosted speed to hit it from behind with a Wing Attack. The Fletchling fell to the ground as the Fletchinder readied another Flame Charge. The small bird did not have the time to move out of the way, and it took the attack straight on and landed on the ground, completely unconscious. The Fletchinder attempted to go in for another attack until Ash ordered Pikachu to fire a Thunderbolt at the bird. The electric attack was enough to scare the bird away, and Ash ran up to the fainted Fletchling. "Don't worry little buddy, I'll help you." Ash said as he gently lifted the Tiny Robin Pokémon and ran back to Clemont and Bonnie. "Guys you need to help!"

"What happened, Ash?" Clemont asked as the young man from Kanto and Pikachu ran up to him.

"This little guy, he got hurt in a battle for territory against a Fletchinder. I managed to scare it off, but I couldn't reverse the damage that this Fletchling had taken."

Clemont looked at the Fletchling and examined it. "Looks like it got burned by the Fletchinder. In the heat of battle Fletchinder's body can get hot enough to burn a Pokémon that touches it." Clemont then pulled out a small bottle and sprayed it onto the burned area. "This should help to cure the burn, but this Fletchling should rest here for the night, until it gets better."

Ash looked at the little bird, which opened its eyes weakly and saw Ash over it. Ash said to the Fletchling, "Don't worry, I'll wait here until you're better. Then, you and I will go back and fight that Fletchinder so that you and your flock can drink at that creek." Pikachu came up to Ash and pulled on his sleeve. "Don't worry buddy, I'll stay out here with Fletchling, you should go and get some rest. We'll be at Santalune City tomorrow and I want you rested for your gym battle." Pikachu ran into Ash's tent and curled up in a ball inside Ash's sleeping bag.

"You should also get some sleep too, Fletchling. We want you to be strong for your next battle against Fletchinder." The Fletchling nodded its head and fell asleep again, it would show that Fletchinder that it was not to be pushed around, no matter its size, and with Ash's help it would beat the larger Pokémon.

It was late in the night when Ash felt Fletchling gently pecking on his hand. He looked up to see that he had fell asleep next to the Pokémon. "Hey, how are you feeling there, Fletchling?"

"Fletch! Fletchling!"

Ash could see that the flying type was quite stressed at the moment, and it pointed up into the sky. He put on his hat and gazed up at the night sky, and what he saw made him gasp. In the sky was the Fletchinder, covered in fire and flying circles around the camp. "It's taunting you to come out and fight it again. Are you ready to fight it again Fletchling?"

The Pokémon looked at Ash and nodded. It flew up into the air and called out to the Fletchinder. It slowly swooped down and stopped in front of Fletchling. "Alright Fletchling, listen to me and we'll get through this."

The two Pokémon stared angrily at each other until Ash called out, "Okay Fletchling, use Quick Attack!" Fletchling flapped its wings and swooped down to gather speed. Once it reached max velocity, the Pokémon flew upwards in an attempt to hit the Fletchinder from below. The dying light of the campfire was enough to allow the Fletchinder to see the incoming Fletchling. It dodged out of the way and ignited itself and flew after Fletchling.

"Watch out Fletchling, it's coming right for you!"

Fletchling looked below it to see the Ember Pokémon chase after it, enveloped in a ball of fire. Fletchling managed to roll out of the way as the Pokémon flew past.

"Nice work, Fletchling! It increased its speed though, so let's see if we can hit it with another Quick Attack!"

Fletchling nodded and flew up at high speeds to ram its beak into the Fletchinder's chest. The Fletchinder recoiled from the attack but chased after Fletching before gripping its talons on the Tiny Robin Pokémon. There, it began to peck furiously at the smaller bird, dealing massive amounts of damage. "Fletchling get out of there! Use Gust to pry yourself loose!"

Fletchling managed to free its wings and flapped them hard enough to create a strong wind current. The Fletchinder was caught in the current and sent sailing downwards from Fletchling. The Pokémon swiftly recuperated and gave another Flame Charge. The attack landed on Fletchling as the Fletchinder soared upwards into the sky. "It's gotten faster again Fletchling, watch out for another Flame Charge."

Sure enough, Fletchinder came back down and rammed Fletchling down to the ground. It landed on the dying embers of the campfire, launching the charcoal around and blanketing the area in darkness. Ash looked up at the Fletchinder and saw that its feathers were sparkling from the embers that settled on it during the multiple Flame Charges. He looked at Fletchling, who managed to get up out of the fire pit covered in black soot. If Ash didn't know it was there, it would be nearly impossible to see. _That's it, we can see Fletchinder, but it can't see Fletchling_. "Great work getting back up, Fletchling. We have the advantage now, since Fletchinder can't see you, fly high and hit it with another Quick Attack."

The larger bird looked around to see where the attack was coming from, but in the dark it couldn't see the smaller Pokémon, until it was hit from above by Fletchling. Fletchinder looked around with a snarl and attempted to use another Flame Charge against Fletchling. Though it was faster than Fletchling, the Pokémon couldn't see its target in the night, making its speed essentially useless in this scenario. Fletchinder tired itself out too much from flying rapidly in a circle, leaving the battle right in Ash's hands. "Alright Fletchling, finish it off with Wing Attack!"

Fletchling came at the Fletchinder from the front and landed the finishing blow on its opponent. The larger bird fell from the sky and crashed on the ground. It slowly lifted itself up as Fletchling landed right in front of it. Ash watched as Fletchinder nodded its head at Fletchling, showing that it was impressed with the way Fletchling battled. The two birds, no matter their size, were now equals. The Pokémon then tried to lift off of the ground, but fell back down, too exhausted to sustain flight. Ash ran over to Fletchinder and said, "That was a great battle Fletchinder, you should really get some rest here for tonight, at least until you get your strength back."

The Ember Pokémon allowed Ash to pick it up and take it to a soft spot of grass to sleep. Ash pulled out a blue, spherical berry from one of the pockets in his backpack and gave it to Fletchinder. "Here you go, this Oran berry should help you recover." The Pokémon ate the berry gratefully and set its head down on the ground to fall asleep. Ash looked over at Fletchling, who was busy cleaning the soot out of its feathers. "Fletchling, we really did it. We make such a great team." He said. The Fletchling stop cleaning for a moment and stared at Ash. It realized that this trainer could help it grow stronger despite its size, but it had a duty to its flock, to lead them somewhere safe.

Bonnie woke up and came outside of her tent to see Ash, Fletchling, and Fletchinder asleep on the grass, as well as the ruined campfire. Clemont and Pikachu also crawled out of their tents to see the state of the campsite. "Wow! What happened out here? Did we miss something last night?" Bonnie asked.

Ash slowly woke up and looked at Bonnie. He said, "You and Clemont missed the pinnacle battle between Fletchling and Fletchinder. Fletchling and I managed to win after it was thrown into the dying embers of the fire. The cover of black soot made it almost invisible to Fletchinder."

"That sounds awesome Ash, but what's the Fletchinder still doing here?"

"It was too weak to move last night, so I took care of it until it got better."

Fletchinder and Fletchling woke up from their slumber and looked at the group. Fletchinder gave Fletchling another nod and flew up, soaring high up and away from the group.

Pikachu ran over to Ash and licked his face. Ash got up and lifted Pikachu up onto his shoulder. He then turned to Fletchling and asked, "So Fletchling, would you like to join us on our journey? I sure would like to have a strong Pokémon like you."

Fletchling looked down, slightly embarrassed. Pikachu jumped down off of Ash's shoulder and started to converse with Fletchling. After they were done, Pikachu ran back over to Ash and attempted to tell him what was bothering Fletchling. It took Ash a couple tries, but he eventually understood what Pikachu was trying to say.

"Fletchling can't come with us, it has a duty to its flock. Isn't that right, Fletchling?"

The Pokémon nodded and looked down. It was sorry that it and Ash had to part ways, but there was no other way. Ash then asked, "Is it alright if we see you off?"

Fletchling gave a chirp in the affirmative. It flew up and circled over the group as they packed up their tents and had breakfast. They followed Fletchling over to the creek where it and Ash first met. As it landed, the rest of its flock appeared from the trees and greeted their leader, who had been missing since yesterday. Ash looked at the Fletchling and said, "Well, I guess this is where we say goodbye. I hope to see you again someday."

As the group parted with Fletchling, Ash felt a gust of wind as the Fletchinder from before flew over his head and landed in front of the flock of Fletchling. Like the day before, all of the Fletchling fled into the trees except for the one. Ash watched as the two bird Pokémon conversed with each other, until something unexpected happened. The Fletchling called to its flock to join it, and introduced them to the larger bird and said goodbyes to all of the other Pokémon. Then it flew over to Ash and unclipped on of his empty Poké balls from his belt. "Wait, Fletchling, you can join me now? Did that Fletchinder promise you that it would protect the flock?"

The Tiny Robin Pokémon nodded its head and pecked on the Poké ball. A red light encased the Pokémon and pulled it back into the ball. The ball wiggled a couple times and dinged to signal that the Pokémon had been caught. "Alright! Pikachu we have another friend here in the Kalos region!" Ash bent down to pick up the ball, and clipped it back onto his belt while Pikachu jumped up and down in joy next to him. Ash looked at the Ember Pokémon and said, "Thank you, Fletchinder, for everything."

The Pokémon nodded at Ash and flew off of the ground, followed by the entire flock of Fletchling. They waved goodbye to Fletchinder and the flock of Fletchling as they disappeared into the sky. Ash looked to his traveling companions and said, "Well, are you guys ready to go to Santalune City so I can get my first badge?"

Clemont was the first to speak up, "Yeah, Santalune is only a couple of hours away, so if we get moving now we can get there by lunchtime!"

Bonnie grabbed Ash's shirt and said, "2 Pokémon and a gym badge in little more than a day? I'm so excited to see what happens from here! Let's go!"

Bonnie started running towards Santalune City as Ash and Clemont raced to catch up, excited for the adventures of a new day.

* * *

Serena woke up in her bed at the Pokémon Center on Route 4. Next to her was her new partner, Fennekin, still asleep and using its tail as a pillow. Serena gently pet the Fox Pokémon on its head and got up to get dressed. As she finished getting ready for the day, Fennekin woke up and started to run around her excitedly. "Hey Fennekin, you ready to go to Santalune City, after we get some breakfast of course?"

The little orange Pokémon smiled and jumped into Serena's arms and nuzzled against her. They both went down the stairs and into the main lobby, Serena walked into the main lobby of the Pokémon center to see the smiling face of Nurse Joy and her large pink and white Balloon Pokémon, Wigglytuff. "Hey Nurse Joy, where can I get a bite to eat?"

"Well, that's the doorway to the cafeteria. The food is all free to trainers who stay the night, so take as much as you want."

"Thanks for the help Nurse Joy!"

Serena went through the doorway to the cafeteria and grabbed a tray of food for her and Fennekin. Once they finished their breakfast, Serena stretched her arms and said, "This is so nice, there's no Fletchling to wake me up, and no Rhyhorn racing to practice. I kinda like this trainer thing. Did you get enough to eat Fennekin?"

"Fennekin!"

"That's good. Well, are you ready to get to Santalune City?"

Fennekin jumped up and onto Serena's shoulder. They went to the lobby and thanked Nurse Joy for the hospitality before going out into the morning. Serena ran down the flight of stairs and onto the road to civilization. In the distance she could see the roofs of the buildings in Santalune City. _Just a little bit farther until we get to the gym and I finally get to see Ash again. Today is gonna be so exciting!_

* * *

**Thanks to everyone for reading this chapter. I can't make any promises as to when I'll release the next chapter (The Santalune Gym battle and meeting of Ash and Serena) because I want it to be a great start to Ash's gym battles and the relationship between our two characters. Be sure to leave comments, questions, or reviews as they help me make this story awesome. Many thanks to everyone who follows or favorites the story!  
**

**Until next time everyone, look for me on the slopes of the Himalayan mountains with my trusty typewriter! (That's supposed to be a joke about my name DictumYeti...yeah it's bad I'll just leave now)**


	3. Chapter 3: A Big Step

**After a week here it is, the part that will make or break this fanfiction for the future!**

**I spent a lot of time writing and rewriting many parts (especially in an attempt to fix all of the STUPID grammatical errors I made in the other chapters) and I feel like it is much better. I really hope you guys all enjoy all 7800 words here, because I really enjoyed writing it.**

**Without further fluff from me, here's Chapter 3: A Single Step**

* * *

"Here we are Ash, Santalune City!"

Ash looked around and took in the sights and smells of the traditional Kalosian town. This place reminded him of some of the small cities in Kanto, like Viridian City, except that Viola wasn't secretly the head of a criminal organization out for world domination. Ash, Pikachu, and their companions walked down the cobblestone streets into a large plaza with a huge fountain in the center. Ash watched as pokémon and children played in the fountain, soaking in the cold water spewing out in all directions. He sat down on one of the benches by the fountain and pulled a sandwich out of his pack. He took half of it and handed it to Pikachu, who gladly took it and began to eat.

"Do you like it buddy?" Ash asked the mouse pokémon.

"Pika Pi!" it said with a smile on its face.

Ash smiled back and began to chew on his own half of the sandwich. He heard the click of a camera shutter, and looked up to see a young woman with blond hair peering at him through a camera viewfinder. The black lens was pointed right at Ash and Pikachu. The woman lowered the camera and said to Ash, "Great picture! I can really see the bond that you and your Pikachu share."

"Thanks, Pikachu and I have been together for 7 years now. Nobody can ever be closer than us. My name is Ash Ketchum, and you are?"

"I'm Viola, it's nice to meet you Ash." Viola said as she extended a hand to the young trainer.

Ash gladly accepted the handshake and asked, "Viola? Wait, are you the gym leader here in Santalune City?"

"The one and only."

"Cool! I actually came here just to see you!"

"Then you must be here to get a gym badge."

Ash nodded, "I am, its my first step on my way to the Kalos League."

"Well come on then, I'm not one to leave a challenger waiting. The gym is this way" Viola replied as she pointed down a street on their right.

Viola signaled Ash, Pikachu, Bonnie, and Clemont to follow her as they made their way to the gym. As they all became acquainted on the walk, Ash learned that Viola specialized in bug type pokémon and she had a hobby for photography, even doing work for her sister, Alexa, when she was in Kalos. He thought about what pokémon he would use alongside Pikachu in the battle. Viola would expect challengers to use types that were strong against bugs, so she probably had a strategy against pokémon like Fletchling, leaving Gible and Froakie for Ash to use. If it was a 2v2 battle, Ash would have to choose a pokémon to sit out in the battle. As he pondered, he didn't notice that they had reached the gym. If Clemont hadn't stopped him, he might have kept walking.

The Santalune Gym was older in style than the rest of Santalune City. It was surrounded by bushes and trees that were meticulously groomed, it showed that the groundskeeper took a lot of pride in maintaining their work. The cinderblock exterior was painted a darker yellow green to accentuate the lightly blue-tinted windows. Viola walked up the steps and held open the glass door, motioning the group to enter. As they came into the atrium, the gym changed its look from an old building to a modern art gallery. On all of the walls were framed pictures of many different bug type pokémon. Ash looked at Viola and asked, "Did you take all of these pictures, Viola? They're amazing!"

"I did. Though its only a hobby, I really do enjoy the finer arts of photography."

Ash looked around, to find another woman in a red and black shirt sitting on a chair and writing on a notepad. Next to her, a small yellow lizard pokémon, a Helioptile, ran around the legs of the chair. When Helioptile saw Ash and Pikachu, it jumped into Ash's arms and snuggled against him. Ash laughed and said, "It's nice to see you too, Helioptile." The pokémon hopped out of Ash's arms and motioned for Pikachu to join it. Pikachu leaped off of Ash's shoulder and began to exchange electricity with the Generator Pokémon. As the pokémon played, Ash approached the woman and asked, "Long time no see, Alexa. How have you been?"

"I'm great Ash, though I should ask how you're doing, since you like to jump off of towers after falling pokémon."

"Heh, you saw that?" Ash said, rubbing the side of his head in embarrassment.

"I'm pretty sure half of the Kalos region saw that. I'll give you props, nobody except you could have done that. You did save a pokémon's life and protected the city."

"Well, it was the least I could do. I'd do anything to help a pokémon…"

As Ash conversed with the reporter, Bonnie and Clemont were busy admiring Viola's vast gallery of photography. "These are really cool pictures Clemont, I love this one over here!" Bonnie said as she pointed to a framed picture of a group of metapod hanging from a tree.

"Yeah, I really liked that one too. It's really cool how the Metapod look just like leaves."

"Ooh Clemont. I really love this one!"

Clemont turned around to see Bonnie down on one knee in front of a blushing Viola. Clemont immediately grew pale and yelled, "Bonnie! What are you doing?"

"Clemont you know you need someone to take care of you! Viola is so beautiful and she's another gym leader. She's perfect for you! What do you say Viola?"

Clemont grew extremely embarrassed because of his sister, and used his Aipom Arm to pull her away from Viola while asking, "Bonnie, why do you always have to embarrass me when it comes to women? I'm only 15, I don't want you to find me a wife!"

"Clemont, you're so hopeless with girls that you NEED me to find you a wife."

"What!? Bonnie!"

Ash chuckled as Clemont lectured his younger sister. Bonnie was beginning to remind him of Brock in some ways. She really loved caring for pokémon and apparently also proposed to women, although her proposals were meant to help her brother. He looked over to Viola, who was still recuperating over the shock of getting asked to marry someone by the young girl. He walked up to her and queried, "So Viola, would you like to start our battle?"

"Um…yeah. Over through those doors is the battlefield." Viola said as she pointed to another set of double doors

Ash followed Viola through the doorway to a large bright room filled with various florae and teeming with bug pokémon. Sunlight poured down from the glass ceiling and illuminated the entire room. The gym looked more like a greenhouse than anything. Ash and Pikachu walked through rows of flowers, vegetables, and trees to the arena on the far side of the room. The battlefield was indented into the ground and he had to walk down a flight of stairs to reach the white challenger box. He stepped down onto the dirt field as Viola made her way to the other side, stopping in her own white rectangle on the ground. Alexa, Clemont, and Bonnie stayed on the floor above in the spectator section. Viola gave Ash a smirk and yelled, "I hope your ready for this Ash."

"You know I am, Viola." Ash said as he gave her a look of pure determination.

The battle referee off to the side looked left and right at the two trainers before shouting, "Alright, this is an official gym match for the Bug Badge between Viola, the gym leader, and Ash, the challenger! The rules are as follows: both trainers have two pokémon, but only the challenger can substitute. Now, release your first pokémon!"

Viola pulled out a Poké ball and said, "Let's get this started. Take the field, Surskit!"

The blue Pond Skater Pokémon came out in a flash of white light. Though it was known to be fast and agile on a pond, it couldn't move very fast on the dirt. This gave Ash the advantage as he shouted, "A Surskit huh? This should be fun. Let's go Gible!" Ash threw his Poké ball to release the dragon/ground type pokémon. It looked at its opponent and growled deeply.

The referee raised her hands up and exclaimed, "This is a battle between Viola's Surskit and Ash's Gible. You may begin!"

The trainers stared intently at each other before Viola shouted, "Alright Surskit, use Water Sport." The pokémon launched a large jet of water out of the yellow antenna on top of its head. As the water rained down it mixed with the dirt ground of the arena, making it slick and muddy. Gible tried to step forward, but it struggled to move its feet in the thick mud.

Ash then called to his pokémon, "Quick Gible, give that Surskit a Headbutt!" Gible rushed forward and attempted to ram its opponent with the fin on top of its head. The thick mud slowed down Gible enough to let Surskit dodge the attack easily. Gible slipped in an attempt to stop itself and landed face first in the mud, sliding to a stop in the middle of the field.

Viola grinned and said, "Surskit is not too fast on land, so turning the field into muck evened out the speed at which both of our pokémon can move. But why be on equal footing when I can have an advantage? Surskit use Ice Beam!"

Surskit focused its energy and fired an icy beam around the field and at Gible. Ash's pokémon managed to roll away from the attack, but skid across the layer of ice that formed on the ground. Gible tried to stand back up, but quickly lost its footing on the slick ice. Ash clenched his teeth as he saw the advantage Surskit now had over the dragon type. It could now skate around on the ice while Gible could barely keep its balance, and it knew an ice type move. Surskit sped toward Gible and rammed into the land shark, sending it sliding across the ground towards Ash. Ash thought hard for a second before he realized the solution to Gible's mobility problem. "You are clever Viola, but Gible and I still have some tricks up our sleeve. Gible, use Dig!"

Gible pushed off of the ground with its legs and smashed the ice below its feet before swiftly digging a tunnel deep into the gym floor. Surskit skated around the field and attempted to locate its adversary before it felt a rumbling under its legs. The ground below it erupted and Gible jumped out and latched on to the insectoid pokémon with its powerful jaws. Gible gained momentum by spinning and threw its opponent down to the ground. Surskit was stunned, but shook itself off and awaited another command from Viola.

"That's an interesting trick there Ash, but we're no pushovers either. Use Sticky Web, Surskit!"

Surskit launched a ball of sticky silk at Ash's pokémon. The icy field tripped up Gible and it fell back onto its stomach. The silk hit Gible dead on and trapped it against the ground. Gible tried to break free as Viola called for another Ice Beam. Once again, Surskit focused its energy into the antenna on its head and fired another freezing beam directly at the trapped pokémon. Ash watched with horror as the super effective attack struck Gible, displacing it from Sticky Web but majorly wounding it. The pokémon slowly lifted itself off of the ground and roared, signaling that it still had fight left. Ash smiled as he called out, "Great work getting back up, Gible! Now use Dig again!"

Gible once again burrowed underground, leaving Surskit alone on the battlefield for the second time. Surskit dug its skates into the ground in an attempt to feel for the oncoming attack. Viola quickly saw what the pokémon was doing and shouted to it, "Wait for it to be right under you!" Surskit nodded and stood absolutely still, closing its eyes so that it could concentrate on finding the missing Gible. It felt a tremble coming up towards it and quickly opened its eyes to prompt that it sensed the arrival of Gible. "Surskit, jump and use Signal Beam!" Viola shouted as she clenched her fists tight.

Surskit leaped into the air as Gible launched out of the ground under its previous position. It attacked the airborne Gible with a strong beam of blinding light that struck the land shark dead on. Gible was thrown back by the powerful move and landed in front of Ash, scratched and beaten from the unrelenting battle. Viola smirked at the young trainer and lectured, "Ash, you should know by now that I wouldn't let the same attack hit me twice in a row. You're gonna have to try a lot harder to win this match."

"I know, Gible and I were just testing you to see what you would do. Now that we know, we can use it to your detriment."

Viola chuckled slightly and asked, "What does that even mean?"

"You'll know soon enough, let's do this Gible!"

Gible lifted itself off of the ground and roared again. It seemed that Surskit's last attack only angered the dragon type. Ash kneeled over and spoke softly to Gible before yelling out, "One more time Gible, use Dig!"

"Again Ash? Have you learned nothing? Surskit, be ready to jump when you feel Gible under you." Viola commanded, surprised that Ash would try the same move three times in a row.

The two trainers stared at the battlefield intensely, waiting for Gible to surface again. They knew that both pokémon were real weak from fighting, and this fight would end with this last move. Surskit felt the tremors from Gible again and jumped up as the ground opened up again. However, it was not Gible that came out from under it, but a large ball of energy that pushed Surskit up higher into the air. Viola gasped, "Ash is that…"

Ash laughed, "Yep, it's Draco Meteor. You and Surskit fell right into our trap. Now, Gible, use Dragon Pulse!"

Gible leaped out of the ground and created a shockwave that knocked Surskit back to the ground as the Draco Meteor exploded and rained down onto the bug/water pokémon. The power of the move shattered the ice on the battlefield and created a cloud of dirt and smoke. As the dust settled, everyone in the room saw the pond skater pokémon unconscious on the ground. The referee of the match announced to everyone, "Surskit is unable to battle. Gible is the winner!"

Ash smiled wide as Gible ran back over to him and jumped onto his head, clamping its teeth onto Ash's skull. Bonnie, Clemont, and Alexa cheered at Gible from the stands. "That was awesome Gible! You did so amazing out there!" Ash said as he pulled the pokémon off of his head. Gible jumped out of Ash's arms and onto the ground as Viola recalled her Surskit. She then pulled another Poké ball off of her belt and pointed it towards the center of the field.

"Great work out there, Ash, but you still have to yet to face my strongest pokémon. Let's do this, Vivillon!"

Viola's Poké ball opened up and released a butterfly-like pokémon, its wings colored with varying shades of pink and black at the tips. Its body and head were a charcoal grey with a large white stripe on its thorax. Two black antennae poked out of the top of its head, both of them with a black, egg-shaped tip. Ash pulled out his Pokédex to scan the pokémon. It spoke in a monotone, female voice, "Vivillon, the Scale Pokémon, Vivillon are skillfully able to find a source of water. It has been said that you'll find a spring if you follow a Vivillon." Ash put the machine back into his pocket and pulled out a Poké ball, recalling Gible with a burst of red light. He then nodded to Pikachu, who jumped out onto the field, cheeks sparking with electricity.

"Well if you are using you're strongest pokémon, Viola, then I will as well. Pikachu and I will not lose!" Ash yelled, smiling wide as his eyes glowed with fiery resolve.

"I like the confidence Ash, but you need more than that to win!"

They eyed each other as the referee exclaimed, "This will be a battle of Ash's Pikachu versus Viola's Vivillon. If the challenger beats Vivillon, they will win the match and receive the Bug badge. You may begin!"

"Vivillon use Gust!"

"Pikachu, give it a Quick Attack!"

* * *

As she walked through Santalune City, Serena could only think about how she would talk to Ash for the first time in eight years. Would he even remember her at first? She would have been crushed if he forgot her after all the years they've been apart. She walked down the road to see the large building with the Pokémon League insignia on it. She opened the doors into the gallery. "Wow this doesn't look like a gym at all. I wonder where the battlefield is." she commented while looking around the room, until she came upon another door. "This must be the door to the battlefield. Ash better be here, or I might end up chasing him all around the Kalos region!"

Serena opened the doors into the greenhouse. She marveled as she saw the beautiful plants and trees that surrounded her. As she walked forward, she heard a large commotion towards the rear of the room. She ran that way to find two pokémon, a Pikachu and a Vivillon, exchanging blows in the middle of a large dirt arena. On the far side of the arena, Serena could see a blond-haired woman in a white tank top. A camera hung down from her neck on a black strap, stopping at her lower chest. Serena guessed that the woman was the gym leader of Santalune City, and gazed towards the near side to catch a glimpse of the challenger. What, or rather who, she saw made her heart skip a beat. From behind he still resembled the young boy that she remembered from nearly a decade ago. His signature messy, black hair was tucked into a red baseball cap and he wore a blue, collared shirt with a white stripe on either shoulder that ran down to the end of his short sleeves. It really is him, it's Ash! Serena was about to run down the stairs to go meet Ash when she was stopped by a friendly female voice that asked, "Welcome to the Santalune Gym! What can I help you with?"

Serena turned to the voice that stopped her. Standing at a railing overlooking the battlefield were three people: a young, bespectacled teen, what looked to be his younger sister, and a brunette woman with a Helioptile on her shoulder. Serena felt her cheeks heat up as she attempted to think of an alibi for being in the gym, "I just stumbled upon the gym and wanted to see a real match for once. Do you mind if I watched?"

The blond teen spoke first, "That'd be fine, our friend is currently doing battle with Viola for his first badge in Kalos."

The young girl was next to speak, "Yeah and it's getting real good! Come on over and watch with us!"

Serena nodded and walked over to the three spectators and joined them on the railing to watch the rest of Ash's battle.

* * *

Ash was too busy focusing on the gym battle to notice Serena's entrance. He glanced at a beaten and battered Pikachu and shouted, "Alright, buddy, use Electro Ball!" Pikachu jumped up and gathered a sphere of electricity at the tip of its tail. Once it stored enough electricity, it propelled the ball at Vivillon. The attack was fast enough to strike Vivillon on the wing as it tried to dodge. "Nice work Pikachu! Now go and use another Quick Attack!" Pikachu rushed forward at max speed and rammed into the enemy pokémon, who fell backward onto the ground. Viola felt sweat drip down her forehead, Vivillon had taken way too much damage from Pikachu's attacks, it couldn't take any more punishment, but Ash kept slamming it with fast attacks. Viola needed to take away Pikachu's speed, but how could she do it? An idea popped into her head and she pointed at Pikachu, ordering, "Vivillon, gather all of your strength and use Hurricane!"

Vivillon flapped its wings as hard as it could, wrapping Pikachu in a windstorm that threatened to lift the mouse pokémon off of the ground. Ash saw the peril that Pikachu faced and shouted, "Quick Pikachu, use Iron Tail to root yourself into the ground." Pikachu sheathed its tail in a white light and slammed it into the dirt, firmly planting itself so it wouldn't be picked up by Vivillon's Hurricane. As the windstorm died down, Pikachu attempted to remove its tail from the arena, only to have it remain embedded. It struggled again to pull away, but couldn't move.

Viola saw the predicament that Pikachu was in and decided to use it to her advantage. She shouted out, "Vivillon, charge a Solarbeam while Pikachu is stuck." Vivillon stretched out its wings to gather as much sunlight as it could. Pikachu began to cry for help as it attempted once again to pull its tail out of the ground. Ash gasped as he saw the state that Pikachu was in. If he couldn't get Pikachu free, there was no way that Gible would win with how tired it was after the battle with Surskit. He didn't know what to do. He looked up at Alexa, Clemont, and Bonnie. Next to them was a girl in a black blouse and a pink hat. She looked oddly familiar to him, as if he'd met her before a long time ago. He stared at her for a second as their eyes met. In her bright blue irises was a look of worry, and her eyes began to well up as she yelled out to Ash, "C'mon! Don't give up until it's over!"

Those words bombarded Ash, kicking him right in the gut. He looked down at the ground and grinned, speaking softly to himself, "She's right I shouldn't give up. I won't give up. That's not the way that I am. Everyone is relying on me to figure something out, and I will not keep them waiting." Ash lifted his head and stared at the battlefield with a blazing determination and bellowed, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt to break the ground at your tail!"

Pikachu looked back at Ash and nodded, its gaze mirroring that of its trainer. It gave a cry of "Pikachu!" before launching a powerful electric attack in all directions around it. The lightning bolt tore open the ground and launched Pikachu up into the air just in time to dodge Vivillon's powerful Solarbeam. Ash then shouted, "Pikachu! Use Thunder!" and the pokémon charged up a huge amount of voltage and released a blinding flash of electric energy at Vivillon. When the attack landed, it ignited the air around Vivillon and caused a massive explosion followed by a strong shockwave that knocked Ash's hat off of his head. Vivillon was thrown down at Viola's feet, where it struggled to gain altitude and immediately fell back down, gasping for air.

The referee watched the events unfold and shouted, "Vivillon is unable to battle. Pikachu is the winner! The match goes to Ash Ketchum, the challenger!"

Ash gave Pikachu a wide smile as he ran to hug the small pokémon. "You did so awesome, Pikachu!"

"Pika Pi!" it replied as it rubbed its cheek against his neck.

Viola walked over to Ash, carrying a small case with a clear plastic lid stamped with a Pokémon League symbol in the middle. She gave the case to Ash while saying, "Ash, that was some battle. Here, take this. It is a case to carry all of the badges you get from the different gym leaders of Kalos." She then pulled out a brown, glass emblem that was shaped like a beetle. She offered it to Ash and said, "This is your first badge, the Bug Badge. You've crossed the first step on your way to the Kalos league, Ash. I hope we meet again, so that I can have a rematch."

He smiled and nodded, "I'd like that, thank you so much, Viola."

Ash took the badge and placed it in the case. He then gave Viola a friendly handshake and joined Clemont and Bonnie, who had now come down to greet the victorious trainer along with Alexa and Serena. Bonnie ran up to Ash and Pikachu and shouted, "That was so awesome, Ash! I really liked the combo of Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, and Dig. But that Thunder at the end was just the icing on the cake, it was so powerful!"

"Thanks Bonnie, but I couldn't have done it without Gible and Pikachu. You should give them the credit, not me."

Ash smiled at the young girl and picked up his hat before turning his attention to the mysterious young woman in the pink hat. "So who might you be? I heard you yelling when Pikachu got stuck there. You really helped me get my mind back into the battle."

"Oh me? I don't think I did that much." Serena replied, trying to hide the blush that slowly materialized on her face. _Wow, I can't believe Ash gave me a complement before he even got my name_. She regained her composure and stated, 'I'm Serena. I'm actually a new trainer from Vaniville town, and I wandered in here to see if I could watch a live gym battle. I'm lucky that I caught the back half of your match." _That's all a big lie, I hope Ash doesn't see right through it_.

Ash reeled back a bit, that name Serena brought back great memories from a long time ago. _Could that be her? No, Serena is a popular name, its probably just a coincidence_. Ash shook it off and said, "Well, I'm glad you came when you did. Say Serena, do you want to join Clemont, Bonnie, Pikachu and I on the way to the Pokémon Center? I'm sure you're just as hungry as we are."

"Yeah, that'd be great! I haven't ate anything since breakfast."

"Then let's go! C'mon guys!"

The group waved goodbye to Alexa and Viola one last time before leaving the gym. Ash couldn't believe how much time had passed while they were in the throes of battle. The sun began to wane in the western horizon, and the sky was now a vibrant shade of gold. On their way to the Pokémon Center, Ash turned to Serena and asked, "So Serena, what made you want to become a pokémon trainer in the first place. I'm sure you have a goal that you're trying to achieve."

Serena looked down and felt into her right skirt pocket. She pulled out a small handkerchief with a blue border and a Poké ball image stitched on the bottom right corner. She stopped and faced Ash, and confessed, "I actually wanted to find you and give you this, Ash."

Bonnie and Clemont gave a confused glance at the handkerchief. Why did Serena want to find Ash and give it to him? They then observed Ash's face. He gawked at the handkerchief, lost in thought, before he uttered, "That's my handkerchief that my mom made for me. I gave it to my best friend back at Professor Oak's summer camp a long time ago. Wait a minute… Serena?" Ash beheld his old friend and ran up to give her a tight embrace. He smiled and said, "I can't believe it's you! It's been so long that I nearly forgot, I didn't even recognize you at first!"

Serena's face began to heat up as she felt Ash's warm hug. As they released she held her head low, so as not to show anyone her furious blush. It seemed that her feelings for Ash from a long time ago flared back up, and she struggled to hold herself from falling into Ash's arms again. She only recuperated when Bonnie implored, "Wait you two guys know each other? How did you guys meet? You have to tell me!"

Clemont looked at Bonnie with disdain as Serena and Ash gave the girl a slight chuckle. Serena then bent over to be head height with Bonnie as she began her story, "Well you see Bonnie, it all started eight years at Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp. I was about your age at the time, and I got lost in the woods during the first day of the camp…"

* * *

_Serena walked slowly through the woods, the sun was starting to set and she still had yet to find the campsite. She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she whispered to herself, "Where is everyone? I thought I was going the right way." She walked further into the woods and came to a stop under a large oak tree. Serena leaned up against the tree and began to cry softly against it, "I knew I shouldn't have come to camp, but Mom forced me to do it. Now I'm lost in the woods and the sun is setting. I don't want to be here all night long. I hate this camp."_

_Just as she finished ranting to herself, she heard a rustle in the bushes right next to her. She grew frightened and tried to run away, but tripped over a root and fell, scraping her knee against the rocks on the ground. Serena tried to hold her hand over the bleeding wound, watching the bushes to see what fearsome wild pokémon would be receiving a girl-sized snack. To her surprise, a Poliwag jumped out of the bush and stared at the crying, young girl. It tilted its head and hopped away from Serena. She lowered her head and whimpered, "Great help you were Poliwag, you scared me half to death." Then suddenly the plants began to rustle again. Serena closed her eyes and wished that she was home, tears streaming down her face. She observed as a head of untidy, black hair poked out from the bush. It wasn't another pokémon that rustled the greeneries, it was a young boy._

_"Poliwag where did you go? Camp is back this way." The boy called. He didn't see the pokémon, but instead found a girl on the ground, crying and clutching a bleeding knee. He stepped forward to talk to the young girl, "Hi I'm Ash. What's your name?"_

_"S-Serena." she muttered timidly in between sobs._

_"Hi Serena! What happened to your knee?"_

_"I got scared by that Poliwag and tripped."_

_Ash kneeled down in front of Serena and gave her a large grin. He then said, "Don't worry I have just the thing that'll help!" Ash pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the tears on her face before he tied it around the wound on Serena's knee. He then waved his hands over the injury and said, "Here I'll give it a lucky charm. Feel better! Feel better right away!"_

_Serena couldn't help but giggle at the boy's antics. He sure was being nice, helping her all on his own. She tried to stand up, but a sharp pain shot through her leg. "Oww! Ash it still hurts I can't stand up!"_

_"Sure you can, Serena, all you have to do is believe in yourself. Don't give up until it's over! Now c'mon!"_

_Ash held out a hand to pull up Serena. She gingerly took it, and he yanked hard enough to lift her up, but ended up tugging too hard and pulled her in a hug. Serena jerked back and stared at Ash, the pain in her leg vanishing almost completely. They both blushed a little and looked away from each other before Ash turned back and said, "There you go. See? You're walking! Now let's get back to camp before it gets dark."_

_Serena smiled at Ash as he lead her back to the campsite by hand. She couldn't believe that she had hugged a boy she just met, even if it was completely on accident. He was being so nice to her and even stayed to help. Maybe she would like this camp after all, now that Ash had become her friend. Serena felt her stomach twist as she thought of the boy holding her hand. They sure did look like a young couple holding hands. Serena snapped out of her thoughts as they stopped at the edge of the campsite. Ash faced her and asked, "So Serena, I'll see you tomorrow right?"_

_She giggled, "You bet! How could I say no?"_

_"Awesome, we're gonna have so much fun at this camp."_

_Ash let go of Serena's hand and ran towards the center of the camp. Serena stood still for a moment as she watched the boy run down the footpath. She held a hand to her heart and whispered, "See you tomorrow."_

* * *

"For the rest of camp, Ash and I were inseparable. We did everything together! However, all good times must come to an end, and we had to say goodbye, but not before Ash gave me this handkerchief, as a token of our friendship."

Bonnie stared at the handkerchief and inquired, "So that's the exact same handkerchief then?"

"Yeah, I knew that he would want it back at some point, but I never saw him again after we parted."

Bonnie beamed at Serena, "Well here we are now! So let's go to the Pokémon Center so that you guys can get caught up on the last eight years!"

Serena stood up and looked at Ash, who presented her with a bright smile and said, "That would be great, it has been a long time."

Pikachu looked at its trainer with glee. It was always excited to meet new friends, especially ones that Ash knew from his childhood, even Gary. While it didn't like Gary at first, it slowly warmed up to the professor in training after Ash's comeback win against Gary at the Johto League Conference. It was interested to see what new adventures would happen with Serena.

As they walked, Ash and Serena conversed with each other about all they had done. Serena was impressed by just how much Ash had done in the seven years since he became a trainer. While he had yet to win a League Championship, he managed to come within the Semi Finals in the Sinnoh League and Top 8 in both Unova and Johto. He even had managed to become the champion of the Orange League and Kanto Battle Frontier. "Wow Ash, you've accomplished so much since you've started as a trainer. I hope seven years from now I'll have accomplished nearly a fifth of that."

"Don't worry Serena, I know you will do great things! Have you decided what you want to do, besides Rhyhorn racing of course?"

Serena shook her head, "I think you misunderstood me, Ash. I never wanted to be a Rhyhorn racer. To be honest, I don't know what exactly I want to do at this point. That's why I came on a journey."

Ash gently touched her shoulder, "Take all the time you need, Serena. You don't have to rush. Take your time to enjoy the road and you won't go wrong."

Serena blushed again, "You're right, Ash. Thanks for the words of encouragement."

"You're welcome, anything for my best friend."

They walked for another half hour until they reached the center. This one was a lot larger than the one Serena stayed in the previous night, since it was the main Pokémon Center of Santalune City. They all walked through the doorway to see that the main room was packed with young trainers. "When they said that this was a meeting point for people starting their journeys, they weren't kidding." Ash said as he made his way to the front desk, where Nurse Joy waited for them with a pleasant smile on her face. Ash pulled out his Poké Balls and placed them on the desk. Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and sat in front of the nurse while Ash asked, "Hey Nurse Joy, can you give my pokémon a quick checkup and can my friends and I have 2 rooms to stay in for the night?"

"Certainly, although we don't have two open rooms at the moment, however we do have one large room if that would be alright?"

Ash looked back at the other three and relayed the question. Serena was hesitant at first, but soon warmed up to it when Bonnie pleaded for her to join them for the night. She nodded at Ash, who turned back to Nurse Joy and said, "Yeah, that's great."

"Alright, Wigglytuff will take your pokémon."

The Balloon Pokémon took Ash's Poké balls and Pikachu and left to give them medical treatment. Nurse Joy took a set of keys off of the wall and handed it to Ash. "Here's the keys to your room, it's gonna be room 211. Your pokémon will be ready in about half an hour, so come pick them up then. We hope you enjoy your stay."

Ash turned to his companions and asked, "Alright, let's get some food shall we?" to which he received a nod from his companions. They progressed to the cafeteria and grabbed 4 trays of food. They managed to find an open booth to sit at, and ate their dinner before Ash said, "I'll be right back, just gotta get Pikachu and the others."

"Alright Ash, Dedenne will keep your seat warm for you." Bonnie joked as Ash walked away laughing. Bonnie then grew a sly look and turned to Serena, asking, "Soooo Serena… What do you think of Ash?"

Serena looked questioningly at the young girl, "What do you mean, Bonnie?"

"You know what I mean. What do you _think_ of Ash?"

Clemont was the first to get what Bonnie was saying and exclaimed, "Bonnie! Why would you ask such a question?" Bonnie just stuck his tongue out and stared expectantly at Serena, who began to blush intensely.

"Are you asking me if I like Ash as more than a friend?"

"Of course! I see the way you ogle at Ash. He and Clemont are boys, so they are hopeless when it comes to spotting all the little hints that girls give, but I can see it."

Clemont looked at his sister and shouted, "Hey!"

Bonnie continued, "Anyway… what I'm saying is that you aren't as good at hiding it as you think you are."

Serena gazed at the young girl, surprised at her cunning intelligence, and whimpered, "We'll I guess you caught me red handed Bonnie. The truth is, after that day at summer camp I developed a secret crush on Ash, and when camp was over I was absolutely devastated. But, I'm pretty sure Ash only sees me as a friend, there's no way that we could be together."

"Then you aren't trying hard enough! Serena, we all know he likes you, he just doesn't know it yet."

"I dunno Bonnie…"

"I do! Just leave it all up to me Serena! Boys like Ash and Clemont are hopeless unless pushed into it."

Clemont once again burst, "Bonnie I don't need you're help! I told you before that I just don't want a wife right now!"

"Too bad! What are you gonna do when I become a trainer and leave? You can't just sit in the gym and work on inventions all day long."

At this point Ash had come back to the table with Pikachu on his shoulder. He watched as the two siblings carried on their argument and then mouthed to Serena, "What are they talking about?" to which he got a reply of "Bonnie trying to find a wife for Clemont" and a shrug. Ash chuckled lightly and sat next to her. He then asked everyone, "So, what do you guys want to do with the rest of the night here at Santalune?"

Serena was the first to speak up, "Maybe we can go sightseeing? I would love to look around Santalune City at night!"

Bonnie gleamed at Serena and shouted, "Yeah that'll be fun! I want to go with Serena, can I Clemont?"

The teen looked at his sister and said, "Sure you can. I won't join though, I have some things to finish with my inventions."

Bonnie then gazed eagerly at Ash and asked, "Will you join us Ash, it would be so awesome if you would!"

Ash glanced embarrassedly at the ground, "Well I actually wanted to do some more training with my pokémon. We need to be prepared for the next gym."

Serena gave Ash a pouting look before Bonnie interjected, "Yeah, but you don't even know where you're gonna go yet for your next gym. Besides, you guys all need a break after such an awesome victory!"

Ash sighed and nodded, "I guess you're right Bonnie, is that okay with you Pikachu?"

Pikachu rubbed its cheek against Ash's and replied with a loud, "Pika!"

Serena and Bonnie gave a wide grin each and shouted, "Alright!"

The three companions and Pikachu walked out of the Pokémon Center and began to look around the city. The sun had set and the lights in town flickered on. The streetlights illuminated their way as they explored all the night attractions that Santalune had to offer. Before they knew it, they had wandered for a couple hours around the town, and sat down in a grassy park to watch the stars. Dedenne crept out of Bonnie's satchel and sprawled out on the cool lawn as Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and curled up next to it. While Ash and Bonnie were fixated on the stars, Serena was fixed on watching Ash. _He may be older now, but he's the same boy from all of those years ago_. She watched as his large brown eyes glimmered with a fiery passion that sent shivers down her spine. He looked down to see her blue eyes hooked on him, "Hey Serena, are you alright?" he asked.

Serena came out of her trance, slightly embarrassed, and tried to redirect the topic, "Oh yeah, I was just thinking about you." _Nope, that's not what I wanted to say_. She blushed furiously and corrected, "I mean, I was thinking about your journeys. There was no way that you did all this alone, didn't you travel around with anyone?" _Good save, Serena. That will totally work_…

Ash gave her a smile, one that made her heart jump when she saw it, and said, "Of course I did, traveling is always more fun with friends! It first started out with Pikachu, but I have to say he didn't like me at first. Then came along Misty and Brock…"

As Serena listened to Ash speak about all of his past traveling companions, she couldn't help but feel a small tinge of jealousy. All of these people that traveled with Ash meant so much to him, and all managed to achieve their goals alongside the young trainer. _These people all came and found a dream that they achieved, but what do I want to do now? What can I make of myself to add to this awesome repertoire of friends that Ash has made? He said to me that I would figure it out in time, I guess I'll just have to believe him_. As he talked, she began to see just how many female friends he had made along the way. Misty, the Cerulean Gym Leader and fourth Sensational Sister; May, the "Princess of Hoenn"; Dawn, who followed her mother to become one of the top coordinators in Sinnoh; and Iris, the young dragon master in training. Serena couldn't help but feel humbled by the awesome friends that Ash had made. _These girls are all so famous worldwide, how could I hold a candle to that? He had to have dated one of them in the past, what makes me any better than them_?

Bonnie watched Serena's expression as Ash spoke. She knew what the older, honey-haired girl was thinking about, and decided to ask the question on Serena's mind for her, "So Ash, did you ever like any of these girls you traveled with?"

Ash stared blankly at her and replied, "Of course! I liked every last one of them. I know we will be friends forever."

Bonnie gave an exasperated sigh, "No not like that. I mean, did you like any of them as more than just a friend?"

Ash finally picked up what Bonnie was saying and shook his head, "Though I've thought about it a couple of times, I have never really 'dated' before. It's just not who I am right now."

The young blonde saw Serena sadden even more and tried to remedy the situation, "Well, I bet you're just waiting on the right girl right?"

"That's the point. All the other girls I've traveled with have been great friends, but nothing more than that." Ash then turned to Serena and said to her, "You'll be traveling from now on with us, right Serena? It's been so great seeing you again, and we could have great adventures together again. What do you say?"

Serena felt a rush of energy. I_s he really asking me to come with him? After we just talked about him dating? Okay don't read into it too much Serena, just try and stay cool._ "Umm… I…"

Bonnie interjected as Serena was trying to speak, "Yeah! It'll be fun if you come with us tomorrow! We could see so many great sights together! Please come!"

She giggled slightly at the young girl and replied, "Sure. How could I say no to you guys?"

Ash and Bonnie smiled again before Ash replied, "Good, I'm glad you'll be joining Serena. We'll have plenty of fun times on our journey, I just know it."

Serena gazed up at the night sky. The stars were all beautiful, and she saw the flickering lights of a plane as it crossed the black sea. She would finally get to see the world, or the Kalos region at least, beside her "best friend" from childhood. She looked back at Ash and Bonnie, and replied, "Yeah we will, I'm sure of it."

* * *

**So how was it guys? I know that some of you may be angry that Ash remembers Serena so early, but please hear me out:**

**1: If Serena remembered Ash after so long, he must have had to done more than just help her in the woods one time. This has to be recurrent to make sense for her to like Ash for so long.**

**2: It gives me the ability to make more flashbacks later in the future, giving more backstory to one of my favorite characters in the anime (It goes Brock, Serena, Pikachu, etc.)**

**3: I don't think Ash would forget somebody so easily, he's not supposed to be dumb!**

**Thank you all for taking the time to read this, you guys and gals are what keeps me going. Don't worry, I haven't forgot about Clemont yet, I love his inventions, but they do take time to make. I also have plans for Team Rocket too (with more Wobbuffet)! Please leave a comment, review, question, inquiry, or criticism (as long as it's constructive and helpful, don't flame me) and favorite or follow if you like the story.**

**As always, thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4: Road to Lumiose

**Hey guys, it's been quite a while since I have last updated, and for that I am quite sorry. I've had a lot of work to do over the past couple of weeks, and left writing this on the back-burner. Good thing is, I'm not stopping this story for anything, as I want to write and I'm sure that you guys would like to read what I have to offer. I also have taken some criticism from you guys and tried to correct my story (did you like it?).**

**So without further delay, here is Chapter 4: The Road to Lumiose**

**Disclaimer: Do I even have to say this? I don't own pokemon, though it would be cool if I did.**

* * *

Serena woke up the next morning under the sheets of a bed in the Pokémon Center. _How did I get here, the last thing I remember was sitting out in the field and watching the stars with Ash and Bonnie. Did they carry me back here_? She looked down to see that she still had been wearing her clothes from the day before, and her hat perched on one of the posts by her head. All of the other beds were empty, except for a small note on the desk. Serena lifted herself up and walked over to read the note. It had messy handwriting, but she could make out the message that it held.

* * *

Serena,

We didn't want to wake you up. All of us are downstairs eating breakfast. Take your time and come join us.

Ash

* * *

When Serena had finished reading the letter, she changed out of her clothes and into a fresh shirt and shorts. She grabbed Fennekin's Poké ball and released the fox pokémon. Fennekin gazed intently at her trainer, who said, "Good morning, Fennekin. Are you ready to go get something to eat?" No doubt the pokémon was hungry after it had been in its ball for too long. Thanks to the technology in a Poké ball, it could keep a pokémon dormant until they're needed again, reducing the amount of food they needed to eat every day. It was a luxury that pokémon staying out of their balls didn't have, but it didn't really matter much to them anyway.

Fennekin hopped into Serena's arms as they left the room to reunite with their new travelling companions. Serena walked past the smiling Nurse Joy into the cafeteria, bustling with a large number of trainers getting ready for another adventure filled day ahead. Serena let Fennekin down and grabbed a tray and filled it enough to satisfy her and the fox pokémon. She spotted Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Pikachu sitting at a booth by the windows and moved to join them. Ash saw her coming first and said, "Hey, sleepyhead. We were wondering when you would show up. You were really tired last night, I had to carry you back to the room."

_So he did carry me back, I wish I was awake to see that. It would have looked so romantic_. "Thanks very much, Ash. I guess I haven't really travelled that much so I was a little tired."

As Serena finished talking, Bonnie launched out of the booth and came eye to eye with Fennekin before shouting, "Serena, is this your first pokémon? It's so cute!"

Fennekin gave a appreciative "Fenn!" and licked Bonnie's cheek, receiving a laugh from the young girl.

Ash grinned and said to Serena, "So you chose Fennekin, huh?"

Serena nodded, "Yeah. I've wanted to have my own Fennekin for a while now, but I never had time to go on a journey before."

"That's awesome, Serena. I can just tell that you and Fennekin will have so many great adventures together. You two already have become so close after so few days."

Serena blushed slightly, _Ash always has a way of getting me so flustered, even when he gives me a small compliment_. She then sat down next to him and ate her breakfast. Fennekin joined Pikachu and Dedenne, but preferred not to converse with them while she voraciously ate her own breakfast.

After they finished, everyone went back to the room and prepared for the day of traveling. Ash had decided that he would go to Cyllage City for his next badge. This meant that they had to backtrack, and go through Lumiose City again. Knowing that they had another day and a half of traveling to get to Lumiose, Clemont had packed a days worth of supplies using one of his successful inventions to pack all of the supplies in an area about the size of Pikachu. He tried to explain to everyone how he used the technologies in Poké balls to compact the supplies, but only ended up confusing all of his listeners. Once he had finished stuffing the supplies, and the others had done their laundry and daily duties, they all checked out of the Pokémon Center and left Santalune City behind them.

It was a rather nice day outside, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Serena let Fennekin stay out of her Poké ball and enjoy the day, and the pokémon happily skipped beside her until it became exhausted, and retired to Serena's shoulder. Serena felt Fennekin's soft, warm fur tickle her neck as the pokémon snuggled up against her. The pokémon's heat made Serena start to sweat lightly, but she didn't mind. Being close to her own pokémon was enough for her.

* * *

Little did they know, they were being watched from above. A large, Meowth-shaped hot air balloon floated overhead, carrying none other than the villainous Team Rocket, spying on the group and awaiting their next move. James pulled his pair of binoculars down and turned to Jesse and Meowth to ask, "So how should we try to catch Pikachu today?"

Meowth looked up at the man and responded, "I'm glad you asked, Jamesy-boy. You see I have devised the perfect plan to finally stop the twerps."

Jesse gave an uncertain gaze at the talking pokémon and said sarcastically, "Yeah Meowth. That's exactly what you said for the last plan that you came up with."

"Yeah, but we never actually had success when the twerp still has all of his pokémon in their Poké balls. If we wait for the right time, we can use your guys' new pokémon to help catch him off guard and capture Pikachu for the boss. Now come close, I need to tell you all the details."

Jesse and James huddled up with Meowth as he explained his scheme. Jesse grew a sly look and said, "That's brilliant, Meowth. That Pikachu will definitely be ours for sure."

As she spoke, one of the Poké balls on her belt opened up, releasing a tall, blue pokémon with squinted eyes that saluted the surprised Rockets by yelling, "Wobbuffet."

Jesse gave the pokémon an exasperated sigh and said, "Yeah Wobbuffet, it's nice to see you too" as she recalled Wobbuffet back into his Poké ball. She then turned back to the other Rockets and said, "Alright, let's wait for the right time to strike. Are you two ready?"

James pumped his fist and replied, "I was born ready, Jess."

* * *

The group had been walking for a couple of hours before Serena let out an exhausted moan. She pleaded to Ash and Bonnie, "Can we please stop here, guys? We've been walking for so long and my feet are getting sore."

Clemont collapsed on the ground and said weakly, "I agree with Serena. We're making great progress, but we still have a full day of travel left to go. Let's rest here and get some lunch."

Bonnie looked back at her complaining companions and teased, "You guys are so slow. If it was just Ash and I, we would get to Lumiose by tonight." She stuck her tongue out at the two tired teens and tried to continue walking before Ash grabbed her arm.

Ash shook his head and said to Bonnie, "Actually, Bonnie, it might be a good idea to stop here. There's no use trying to rush, the gym isn't going anywhere. Let's get some lunch, what do you say?"

Bonnie stared at the young man and nodded, running back to her brother and Serena. She stopped in front of Clemont and asked, "So where would you like to set up, Clemont? I'm starving!"

"You just said that you could keep going."

Bonnie laughed, "I lied. I just didn't want my slow brother to go farther than I could."

Ash chuckled at the young girl and said, "Well Bonnie, there's a stream over there for us to sit by. That's a great place to take a lunch break."

He pointed at a small grassy knoll with a wide brook running around the base. Bonnie walked over to the waterfront and dipped her toes in the clear waters. Dedenne crawled out of her satchel and jumped into the river, splashing Bonnie with the cold water. Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and joined Dedenne in the water.

Clemont pulled out his canister, filled with supplies, and brought out his cooking utensils. He released Bunnelby, who dug a wide, shallow hole in the ground and took some branches and dry pine needles to make a fire pit. Serena figured that she could be of use and asked Fennekin to use Ember on the tinder. The pokémon breathed a ball of fiery cinders that ignited the kindling, creating a small fire that Clemont would use to heat up their food.

Ash unclipped his Poké balls and released Gible, Froakie, and Fletchling. The three pokémon looked expectantly at their trainer, who gave them all a smile and said, "Alright guys, lunch will be ready in a bit so don't get into any trouble." Ash then pointed to Serena and Fennekin and continued, "They're our new friends, Serena and Fennekin. Go and say hi!"

Gible was the first to greet the newcomers, in the only way that he knew how. Ash turned around to see Serena running around and screaming, with the land shark pokémon latched onto her head. He chuckled and said to Serena, "It looks like Gible likes you, Serena."

Serena pulled Gible off of her head and scowled at Ash, "Yeah, a little bit too much if you ask me. His affection hurts."

Bonnie giggled and added, "Don't worry, Serena. Gible did the same thing to me too. He's a funny, little pokémon."

Gible walked back over to Ash and gave a wide grin before making his way back to the other pokémon. Pikachu walked toward Fennekin and motioned her to join the rest of the group, and the fox pokémon shyly joined Ash and Clemont's pokémon. She was accepted quite easily by all of the pokémon, and they began to play a variety of games at the riverside.

Serena and Ash both sat down on the small hill overlooking the brook and playing pokémon. Serena felt that she could use this time to get closer to Ash and began to slowly scoot closer to him when he wasn't paying attention. To her surprise, he either didn't notice or didn't care and let her come close enough for them to almost be touching. Ash then laid back onto the ground and stared at the sky. Serena mimicked Ash, and laid down next to him. A flock of bird pokémon flew overhead, swimming in the vast ocean above the ground as a group of bulbous clouds lumbered their way across the sky. Ash tilted his head to look at Serena and asked, "It's a beautiful day out, don't you think?"

Serena met Ash's chocolate brown eyes and replied, "Yeah, it really is nice outside. It reminds me of when I was younger and I sat around all day watching the clouds go by. It's one of my favorite past times, even to this day."

Ash gave her a slight smile and said, "I know what you mean. Though I spent a good portion of my childhood training pokémon, I still remember all of the great times that I had as a kid. I still remember the time when my dad and I first went fishing together."

"What was it like?"

"I was only 5 years old at the time, but I remember it like it was yesterday. We went to a lake by Pallet Town and rode on his Lapras out to the center of the lake and cast our hooks. He and I just sat there waiting for a fish to bite, until his line started to tug. He pulled so hard, but lost his balance on Lapras and fell into the lake. Lapras and I looked around for him, until he jumped out of the water, riding the largest Seaking I have ever seen in my life. The Seaking threw him off of its back and swam away. My dad climbed back on Lapras, and we both broke out into laughter over what had just happened. At the end of the day, we had caught little more than a single Magikarp, who we threw back to be with its family. It was the last time I've ever seen my father, as he left the next day. I love my dad more than anything in the world, but I'm not even sure I'd recognize him now, after nearly a decade."

"I'm sorry Ash, I didn't mean to pry this information from you. I've never met my father, my mom said that he left when I was very young."

"What about friends, don't you have any back at home?"

"Not really. I really only was around my mom and her pokémon, and I never fit in with the other kids."

"Hey, at least you have Bonnie, Clemont, and I to be your friends now, Serena."

"Heh…yeah, friends." Serena whispered lamely. She looked down away from Ash.

"Something bothering you, Serena?"

She lifted her head back up and gave Ash a fake smile, "No, nothing at all."

Ash stared back at her, he could tell something was wrong in the way she spoke to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. People were just so weird, he preferred pokémon. His thoughts were interrupted by Clemont announcing to everyone, "C'mon guys, lunch is ready." Ash jumped up and helped Serena up as well before they walked over to the picnic blanket that Clemont had placed on the ground. All of their pokémon also came over, and were each served their own pokémon food. Pikachu reached into Ash's pack and fished out a bottle of ketchup and tried to pour it onto his food. Unfortunately for Pikachu, the bottle sputtered and a meager amount of sauce showered on his food. Pikachu tried again, but with no luck. Ash gave a sympathetic look to the mouse pokémon and said, "Looks like we're out, buddy, sorry. I'll have to get some more in Lumiose."

"Pika pi." Pikachu responded drearily.

Ash patted the pokémon on his head and grabbed a bowl of stew for himself and sat down in between Bonnie and Serena. As they all ate, Serena turned to Clemont and asked, "Clemont, how did you learn to cook this well?"

"Well you see, Serena, my father was unable to come home some nights, as he controls the electric grid in all of Lumiose. I had to learn to cook for myself and Bonnie, though it took some time to do."

Bonnie began to laugh uncontrollably and said, in between gasps, "Yeah, he almost burned down the house a couple times!"

"Bonnie, it was only once, and that wasn't entirely my fault!" Clemont shouted in defense.

Ash and Serena chuckled at the fighting siblings. It seems there was always a way for Bonnie to embarrass her brother, as any younger brother or sister would.

While they tried to calm down Bonnie, the smell of food attracted a fair number of the wild pokémon in the forest. Clemont pulled out three more bowls and filled them with pokémon food. He set them down in front of the newcomers and said, "Don't worry everyone, there's enough for you guys too." More pokémon began to file out of the trees. Among them was a flock of Pidgey, a group of Rattata, a Pumpkaboo, and an Inkay. All of the trainers' pokémon finished their food and began to play with the wild pokémon, except for Dedenne, who scrambled back into Bonnie's satchel and quickly fell asleep. Ash and Serena went to hand-feed the pokémon as a voice boomed through the trees, shouting "Now!"

A number of devices fell down from the sky and caught Ash, Serena, and Clemont's pokémon in a large cage. As Ash turned to see what had happened, he was hit by a dual attack from the Inkay and Pumpkaboo behind him. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Serena rushed over to Ash and asked, "Are you alright?"

Ash struggled to get back to his feet and said, "I'm fine Serena, but I'm sure we better be prepared for trouble."

The voice boomed again, "Make that double."

Ash chuckled, "I knew it."

The iconic Meowth-shaped balloon loomed over the group and a claw reached out to grab the cages of pokémon. Jessie and James poked their heads out from the basket and continued their motto

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"It's Jesse…"

"And James."

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now or prepare to fight."

"Meowth, that's right."

"Wobbuffet!"

Ash clenched his teeth and shouted, "Why are you three always following me?" Serena turned to Ash and asked, "Who are these people Ash?"

"They're the ones who started the incident in Lumiose City a few days ago. They've been following me for years trying to steal my pokémon." Ash then reached for a Poké ball, but realized that all of his pokémon were now within Team Rocket's grasp. The other pokémon that had been around had now fled into the forest. He looked around to see what he could do, but realized that he had no offensive capabilities against Team Rocket. He was helpless against them right now.

James yelled once again, "Inkay, use Psybeam."

Ash turned around to see the revolving pokémon fire another beam of psychic energy at him. The attack hit him square in the chest and knocked him down once again. Serena felt a tear come to her eyes as she saw the young man clutching his chest on the ground. She turned around to watch Team Rocket slowly ascending with all of the pokémon in their custody. Fennekin stared back at her trainer and cried out in help. She knew that Team Rocket was too far away at this point for her to do something at the moment. It was all up to Clemont and Bonnie, who were staring wide-eyed at the thieves.

Bonnie yelled out at the Rockets, "You come back here!" before she felt her satchel start to wiggle. The front flap opened, and out popped a drowsy Dedenne. Dedenne looked up to see what was all the commotion, and spotted all of its friends caught in a cage under the Meowth-shaped, hot air balloon. Clemont saw the pokémon pop out of Bonnie's bag and gave his sister a grin as he said, "We still can do something. Dedenne, we need your help."

Dedenne gave his trainer a determined look and replied, "De de dene!"

He jumped out of Bonnie's satchel and arced electricity from his cheeks. The pokémon was ready to save his friends and help his trainer in their time of need. Clemont glanced at Ash and Serena and said, "Don't worry, Dedenne and I have this."

Team Rocket watched as the antenna pokémon prepared to fight, and Jessie laughed while taunting, "You think that small rat will stop us? You must be joking. Pumpkaboo, take it out with Shadow Ball."

The pumpkin pokémon charged and released a pulse of dark energy at Dedenne, who jumped out of the way of the attack and awaited an order from his trainer. Clemont pumped his fist and said to the Rockets, "I am the gym leader of the Lumiose City gym, and it's my goal in life to make the world a better place for people and pokémon alike. You three are trying to stop me from achieving my dreams, and as such I will do my best to defeat you." He then faced Dedenne and commanded, "Alright, give that Pumpkaboo your strongest Charge Beam."

Dedenne charged and released a ray of electricity at Pumpkaboo, knocking it back. The remaining electric power surged into Dedenne's body and was stored for the next attack.

James was next to attack, and ordered Inkay to use Psybeam again, only to have Dedenne dodge and retaliate with another, stronger Charge Beam. Clemont was using the move to increase the damage that Dedenne could do, bridging the gap of power between itself and its opponents. Jesse and James became aggravated and attempted to use both pokémon at the same time in a paired attack. The dual attack struck Dedenne and pushed it down the hill. Unfortunately for them, it only made Dedenne angrier, and Clemont directed it to use a Thundershock.

Dedenne released a powerful bolt of electricity at the two pokémon and launched them up in the air, towards Team Rocket. James gritted his teeth and shouted, "Inkay, use Tackle."

Inkay rushed at Dedenne and slammed into the smaller pokémon while preparing itself to attack again. Clemont knew that he had to rescue the groups' pokémon, and these crooks were stalling him in order to make a get away. He pondered for a moment and came up with an idea to stop Team Rocket. "Dedenne, when Inkay gets close, grab a hold of it."

Dedenne nodded and waited for the squid-shaped pokémon to attempt another Tackle. As Inkay barreled in for the attack, Dedenne jumped on top of his head and tugged hard. He quickly learned what Clemont wanted him to do and pulled on Inkay to "drive" him up to Team Rocket. As the pokémon came close to the hot air balloon, Pumpkaboo tried to slam into Dedenne, but Dedenne shocked her with a Thundershock and continued his advance towards the Team Rocket balloon.

Jesse ordered Pumpkaboo up to the basket, to protect Team Rocket from the mouse pokémon. This was to no avail as Dedenne rammed Inkay into Pumpkaboo, knocking Pumpkaboo into the basket at Jesse's feet. Dedenne then released a burst of electricity at the burner of the balloon. The burner began to fire excessively, and Dedenne saluted Team Rocket before pushing itself off of Inkay, falling down toward the ground. As he pushed off, the burner short-circuited and exploded, launching Team Rocket and their pokémon off into the air with a cry of "Team Rocket's blasting off again."

The cage full of pokémon was discharged from the balloon, and crashed on the ground in front of Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena. Bonnie ran forward to catch Dedenne and nuzzled the pokémon yelling, "You did great Dedenne, that was so awesome!"

"De de nene!"

Ash rushed to the cage and forced the door open to release all of the pokémon. Pikachu jumped up onto his shoulder and hugged his head, while the others swarmed around his feet. Fennekin leaped into Serena's arms, and Serena hugged the fox pokémon tight. Bunnelby and Clemont embraced and Bunnelby congratulated his trainer for such a good battle.

Serena walked up to Clemont and said, "Thank you for that Clemont, I don't know what we would have done without you and Dedenne."

Clemont scratched the back of his neck and replied, "You're welcome, Serena. I'm glad I could help get our pokémon back."

Ash laughed as he put his arm around Clemont and squeezed tight, "I knew I could count on you."

After the incident with Team Rocket, the rest of the day was a rather uneventful day of travel. They had walked until the sun had set, and pitched their camp in a clearing in the field. They ate their dinner and sat around the campfire. Clemont had brought out a blanket and draped it over him and Bonnie, so that they wouldn't be exposed to the cold night. Ash gave Serena one of his old sweatshirts to wear, which she gladly accepted. It had signs of repair, and Serena learned that it had been Ash's traveling gear while he was in the Hoenn region. It was torn and tattered in a battle with Team Rocket, but his mom spent time to sew it back together for him, and gave it to him to warm him on cold nights. Serena was touched that Ash would think about her before himself. He really was a kind person, one of the traits that she found most admirable in him. Since yesterday, her feelings for Ash had grown immensely, and she could barely control herself from scooting closer to him and wrapping her arms around his body.

They had shared stories and jokes around the campfire until the roaring fire transformed into a pile of glowing cinders. Instead of adding more firewood, the group decided to retire for the night and begin traveling early the next morning. Serena hadn't expected to spend a night out of the pokémon center, and didn't bring a tent to use in that case. Bonnie squealed in delight and shouted, "Then you can be with me in my tent. We'll sit around and talk about things that I can't say around Clemont or Ash."

Clemont smirked at his younger sister and asked, "Hmmm… Like what Bonnie?"

Bonnie was about to speak in her tired stupor but caught herself and said to her brother, "Nice try, but I won't tell you. There are things that only girls can talk about."

Clemont folded his arms, saying, "Alright, but you better get to bed early tonight. I wouldn't want to use my alarm clock again if you don't wake up in the morning."

Bonnie grew frightened and pleaded, "No, not the clock! I promise to go to bed early if you don't use the clock."

Clemont chuckled and said, "That's what I wanted. Serena how do you feel about sharing a tent with my sister?"

Serena smiled and replied, "I don't know about the whole 'girl talk', but I would love to sleep with some shelter over my head. I'm not really the rough and tumble mountain-woman type."

Ash watched as Bonnie, Clemont, and Serena entered their respective tents and sat by the dying fire with Pikachu. He looked at his lifelong partner and said, "I'm glad we have such great friends to travel with, aren't you buddy?"

"Pika pi."

Ash sat against a tree trunk and stared up into the sky. He thought about what the future would hold for him as he watched a small tuft of cloud pass in front of the full moon. Traveling with Serena seemed to bring a sense of excitement that Ash had never experienced since the start of his lifelong journey. Collecting gym badges and the like were routine for him now, but he never thought he would be so joyful about waking up the next day and seeing his friends, especially her. Why was she so special? Was it because he hadn't seen her for so long? That must be it, because she was such an important person in his life during that summer camp. Whatever the reason, Ash grabbed Pikachu and changed into a t-shirt and shorts inside his tent. He crawled into his sleeping bag and stared at his best friend curled up against him before drifting off into a deep sleep, dreaming about all of the experiences that he had with his childhood friend.

* * *

**So how was it? I really needed to slow down a bit and add some real exposition, so why not here? It may not be the best chapter so far, even though Dedenne and Clemont destroyed Team Rocket, but that's because I have plenty of other exciting chapters coming up soon. As to the questions that will arise like "Will we see Ash or Serena's father in this story" the answer is maybe, but if I do add them into the story, it will be at a huge point in the story, and they will be around for more than one chapter. Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but I'm sure you guys can understand. Thank you all for reading and please leave a comment, question, review, inquiry, critique, etc. and I'll see you all again for the next chapter, when I release it.**


	5. Chapter 5: The City of Love and Pokemon

**Hello again guys, gals, and the rest of you who gender identify as a squid...or something. Anyway, here's another chapter (quite a long one at that). I wanted to release this one on Valentine's Day, but it went through extensive rewrites. I tried to make it fun and pleasing to the romantics out there, but don't expect this kind of super duper romance for every chapter (it was made special).**

**Getting that out of the way, here's Chapter 5: The City of Love and Pokemon**

* * *

Ash crawled out of his tent slowly and placed his red hat on top of his head. Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont were all sitting around a small fire waiting for breakfast to finish cooking. Pikachu and Dedenne were sitting on a log together, exchanging electric jolts with each other. Serena was the first to see Ash emerge out of his tent and said, "Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you doing today?"

Ash smiled and replied, "I'm doing well, just ready to get back to Lumiose. "

Bonnie interjected, "We have to stay in Lumiose for the night. Ash, you never got the chance to look around at all."

Ash chuckled at the young girl, "You're right, Bonnie, though last time I was in Lumiose I almost ruined Prism Tower. I don't know if the city can handle much more of me."

Bonnie laughed, "Yeah, we just have to stay away from Professor Sycamore's Garchomp and Team Rocket."

"Heh, It would be nice to see such a large city. Say Serena, you definitely know all the good stores and cafés in Lumiose right? Do you think that you could show me around the city?"

Serena gasped, "Me? I mean, I do know about all the great places to go in Lumiose, but wouldn't Clemont or Bonnie be better tour guides."

Clemont tapped his spoon against the pot that held their breakfast and said, "Actually Serena, I have no idea. I spend most of my time at the gym or at home."

Bonnie once again laughed, "Yeah, and I'm not old enough to go out on my own, silly. You're probably the best travel advisor."

Ash turned back to Serena, "Well, what do you say, Serena? Let's tear up Lumiose City."

Serena averted her gaze, attempting to hide the creeping blush on her face. _Just Ash and I alone in Lumiose, the city of love? Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming_. Serena shook the thoughts out of her head and replied, "Yeah, I'll be happy to show you around Lumiose, Ash."

Clemont pulled the pot away from the fire and filled bowls of food for all of them and said, "We can stay at my house. Our dad, Meyer, wouldn't mind at all." He handed the bowls out to everyone and sat down next to his sister. Ash, Serena, and Clemont released all of their pokémon and set down their plates with food as they all began to eat.

It didn't take them long to finish breakfast, and they quickly packed up camp and made their way to Lumiose. After a few hours they had reached the outskirts of the city. Between them and the gate into the city was a large garden with a fountain in the middle. A sign next to the group had an arrow pointing to the route with an inscription, Parterre Way. Ash stared in splendor at the garden, "Wow, I haven't ever seen this before."

Clemont pushed his glasses up on his face and said, "That's because we went through another gate to reach Santalune. Lumiose City meticulously keeps this garden, it's definitely one of this city's biggest prides."

Bonnie nodded her head and added, "Yeah! Lumiose City has always been called "The City of Love", and many couples will come from around the world to just spend an hour together in this garden."

Ash gave her an impressed smirk, "That's cool, and it's free to go through?"

Clemont nodded, "All free, Ash. That's one big plus."

"Well then, let's go, shall we?"

They walked down the hill and into the garden. Walls of pristine, cut hedges acted as a threshold into the garden, and, as they passed under it, they were sprayed with a light, cool mist that kept the plants quenched. The first object they saw when they passed under the hedge was the large fountain in the center of the garden. It was only here that Ash realized the sheer size of the fountain. A large, bronze statue of three Rhydon holding a massive bowl with Luvdisc jumping out sat atop a large basin, squirting streams of water up in the air. Multiple wooden benches sat on the perimeter, looking toward the fountain. These benches were each flanked by flower gardens, covered in tulips and roses. There were several couples scattered in the area. Some of them were admiring the gardens, hand in hand. Others were sitting on the benches, more interested in each other than the splendor around them.

Ash stood, mouth agape, and took in all the sights. "Wow, this place is so awesome," he said as he and Bonnie ran up to the edge of the fountain. He took off one of his sleeveless gloves and dipped his hand into the cold waters. Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder and dipped his face into the basin. He resurfaced and shook his head rapidly, spraying his partner and Bonnie with the refreshing water. Serena couldn't help but smile at the two. She was in the process of deciding what her and Ash could do in Lumiose, but had trouble with what would be the most interesting to Ash. Serena turned to Clemont and asked him, "So, Clemont, where do you think I should take Ash in Lumiose?"

"I knew that you would ask me that at some point, so I've created my own list of places you could go. I would start with a café and then walk around some of the tourist areas, like Centrico Plaza or Vernal Avenue. You could also look at the museum and get a freshly baked galette on the Northern Boulevard. Ash might also like to see the Poké Ball Boutique as well on Autumnal Avenue. He's not really a fickle person, so just cater to what you know he likes."

"You know a lot more about Lumiose than you said, huh?"

"Of course, I live there. I just wanted to give you and Ash some alone time, you know?"

"Well thanks, Clemont. I'm suspecting that Bonnie was also lying? "

"Obviously. She's been blabbing on about you two whenever you're not around. It's nice when she interferes in someone else's personal life for a change."

"I'll have to thank her too then. I'm just so nervous around Ash all the time. It's been such a long time since I've seen him, but he's just as I remember. I don't know how he sees me though. If he doesn't like me back, and I mess something up, it might ruin our entire friendship. What do you think?"

"He's definitely an oblivious one. Honestly, I don't think he even knows what he feels about you either."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He has been travelling for years now with his pokémon, and he's never had a girlfriend when he's obviously been traveling with world class coordinators and gym leaders. I'd say you should just ease him into it with little acts here and there. That's pretty much all you can do about now, you just have to take those baby steps. If you need any help at all, Bonnie and I are happy to oblige."

"Thanks, Clemont. I didn't know you knew so much about this."

"Bonnie doesn't give me the credit I deserve. She thinks I'm so hopeless. In reality, I'm quite the opposite."

Clemont smiled at Serena and caught up with Bonnie and Ash, who were now looking at all of the flower arrangements. Bonnie leaned forward to smell one of the flowers but lost her balance and would have fallen face first into the flowers if Ash hadn't grabbed her arm. Serena giggled and began to amble toward her friends. As she walked, she noticed a couple sitting on a bench together. The man pulled out a bouquet of roses and handed it the woman. She blushed intensely and threw her arms around her boyfriend. Serena couldn't help but feel her gut twist and turn at the sight. She imagined her and Ash replacing the two and couldn't help but blush at the thought. _Imagine Ash making such a romantic gesture, I don't think I could control myself at that point._

* * *

_"Serena come on, we have to get there in fifteen minutes or we'll miss our reservation."_

_"Don't worry, I'm done."_

_Serena walked out of the bathroom into the sight of Ash and Pikachu, who were wearing matching black suits with blue ties. Ash had finally combed his hair for once, and relinquished his hat for the night. Though he had tried to neaten it up, his dark hair had different plans, and it started to restore its original shape. It didn't matter to Serena though, she thought that he looked handsome all the time, regardless of what he was wearing. She watched Ash's eyes grow wide as she waltzed in front of him and asked, "How do I look?"_

_Ash felt his cheeks heat up and shook his head to calm himself down before saying, "Wow Serena, you look absolutely beautiful."_

_"Pika."_

_Serena twirled, her light pink dress swirling around her body. She untied her hair and placed a pink bow on top of her head and gave Ash a slight smile, "Oh thank you Ash and Pikachu. Now c'mon, we don't want to be late for our reservations, do we?"_

_Ash extended his hand and intertwined his fingers with Serena's, and they walked together into the night…_

* * *

As Serena daydreamed, she didn't notice Ash walking up to her. He snapped his fingers in front of her face, startling the girl. "What were you thinking about, Serena?" he asked.

"Oh nothing, Ash. I was just thinking," Serena replied, instantly covering her face with her hands to hide from Ash's gaze. _Why is it always like this with him?_ _Pull yourself together, Serena, you're acting like a schoolgirl swooning over the most popular guy in the school. It's only Ash_. Serena looked up into Ash's chocolate brown eyes. _Yeah, but it's Ash_. She smiled at him and said, "Let's get moving shall we?"

Ash echoed her smile and replied, "Yeah, let's go. Clemont said that we can drop our stuff off at his house first."

Once they had made their way into Lumiose City, they were immediately greeted by the busy city. Clemont guided them to his house, right outside of Centrico Plaza. In front of the building, a taller, brown-haired man with a green hat and overalls worked on a red motorcycle alongside a yellow, bipedal pokémon with a large red orb on both its forehead and tail, an Ampharos. "Ampharos, can you give me some light here?" the man asked. Ampharos lit up the orb on his tail and moved to illuminate the spot on the motorcycle. The man pulled out a wrench and began to tighten a bolt, but stopped when he saw Bonnie and Clemont running toward him. He stood up and wiped the sweat off of his brow and the grease off of his hands, saying, "Clemont! Bonnie! It's great to see you."

Bonnie jumped into her father's arms and squeezed him tight as Clemont approached and sandwiched her between him and their father. The man saw Ash and Serena walking towards them and said, "You guys must be Clemont and Bonnie's friends? I'm their father, Meyer."

"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Ash."

"And I'm Serena."

Meyer struggled out of the grip of Clemont and Bonnie and walked over to Ash and Serena. He wiped his hand on his overalls to make sure he was rid of the grease and shook their hands viciously. "You're both welcome to stay here for as long as you need. I'm glad that Clemont and Bonnie have finally found some great friends," he said as he grinned wildly. He then turned to Clemont and continued, "I heard from the guys that the gym is almost ready to be used again, even with that Garchomp attack a while- ago. They managed to get everything done in a real short time span, all things considering. Are you almost ready to get back to work?"

Clemont gave a nervous chuckle to his father. While he was excited about the gym being back up and running, he hadn't suspected how much fun it would be to continue his journey with Ash and Serena. No doubt Bonnie felt the same way. "Well, you see, Dad, Bonnie and I actually wanted to keep journeying with Ash and Serena."

"Clemont, it's your duty as the new gym leader to be there for challengers."

"I know, but I've really had some great times in the past few days, and I'm excited for what's in store for all of us. Surely you must understand?"

Meyer turned away from Clemont and Bonnie, a single tear running down his face. Clemont suspected he had outstretched a little too far and began to rapidly apologize to his father. To Clemont's surprise, Meyer turned back around and said, "I never thought that you would say that. How could I say no to you and Bonnie? This is so great! I'll take over the gym for you, and you can go and explore the world with your new friends." Meyer then walked over to Ash and wrapped his arm around him and Pikachu and asked, "I always like another man who uses an electric type, and a strong one like Pikachu at that. I hope you and your girlfriend will take care of Bonnie and Clemont for me along the way?"

Upon hearing Meyer say those words, Serena's face grew extremely red as she began to correct Meyer, but Ash beat her to the point. "No, it's not like that. Serena and I are just friends," he said, quite calmly.

Meyer attempted to ask why not, but was quickly nudged in the side by Bonnie. As far as he could tell, Ash didn't think much of his comment, but Serena seemed extremely flustered by it. Meyer decided to drop it and began speaking to Clemont again, "So where are your Heliolisk and Magneton, Clemont? If I'm gonna be the gym leader again, I have to have more than just Ampharos here."

"They're actually with Professor Sycamore right now, we can go get them if you'd like?"

"Of course I would. I'm the one who gave you that Helioptile egg. Come with us Bonnie?"

Bonnie eagerly looked at her family and said, "Yes! I want to see all the cool pokémon at Sycamore's lab again."

"Good. I'll let you kids drop off your stuff in the house and we'll get going to Sycamore's Lab. Ash and Serena, will you guys join us too?"

Serena shook her head, "No, I'm showing Ash and Pikachu around Lumiose. This is the first time they've been in the Kalos region."

Meyer nodded, "Well then, let's just meet back here for dinner then shall we?"

Once the group had dropped off their gear in the house, Clemont, Meyer, and Bonnie all headed off towards the pokémon lab, leaving Ash, Pikachu, and Serena alone. Serena pulled up a map of Lumiose City and shared it with Ash. "So where do you want to go first, Ash?"

"I'm kinda hungry right now, what do you say to getting some lunch?"

"Alright. I heard there's this new place called Lysandre Café over in Magenta Plaza, want to try that?"

"It's good with me, what do you say Pikachu?"

"Pika Pi!" the yellow mouse shouted with enthusiasm at the chance to eat some delicious food.

As they made their way around Prism Tower, Serena barely managed to keep herself together at the thought of being alone with Ash. _Oh boy, I can't believe it's just Ash and I getting lunch together. I don't care what he thinks, this is definitely a date in my book. I'm going on a date with As_h. Serena stared at Ash and began to daydream again.

* * *

_"Dinner was awesome Ash, you definitely chose well."_

_"What can I say? I aim to please."_

_Ash and Serena walked along the sidewalk, arms intertwined. The glow of the streetlights illuminated the path ahead. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the brightest stars sparkled through the barrier that the city lights created. Serena felt a cold breeze run through her body, and began to shiver uncontrollably. Ash turned to her and unbuttoned his suit jacket, donning it onto Serena's shoulders. Serena looked up at Ash and blushed, saying, "Thank you Ash."_

_Ash smirked, "Hey, I don't want my lovely date to catch a cold. C'mon, there's one more thing I want to show you."_

_"What is it Ash?"_

_"It's a surprise."_

_Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and onto Serena's, rubbing up right against her neck. Serena used her free arm to pet Pikachu right under his chin and allowed herself to be led by Ash down the sidewalk. In Ash's coat, she felt warm and safe, and she gently tilted her head over to rest on Ash's shoulder. He gave her a large smile and they walked towards the Southern Boulevard._

* * *

"Is this it, Serena?"

Serena shook herself out of her daydream and focused her attention to where Ash was pointing. In front of them was a large crimson building with a sign that read Lysandre Café on it. Ash and Serena could see that the dining area inside was quite packed, but there were a couple open tables on the patio outside. Ash held the door open for Serena and entered the café. A shorter man with glasses and an apron came over to them and said, "Welcome to Lysandre Café, is it just the two of you today?"

Ash nodded, "Yes it is, would you mind giving us a table outside?"

"Not at all sir, please follow me."

They followed the man to a table outside, where he gave Ash and Serena their menus and a glass of water before leaving. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and onto his lap, wedging himself between Ash and the table. Before long, Ash and Serena had placed their orders and were conversing when a tall, orange haired man walked up to their table. He was wearing a black suit with red trim and a furry collar. Around his neck was a blood red scarf accented by his orange beard. He had a slight smirk on his face, and his light blue eyes were fixed on Ash as he approached. The man bowed to the two and said, "Hello to both of you. My name is Lysandre. I'm the owner of this fine establishment."

* * *

"So Clemont, Bonnie, you two have to tell me what's going on with Ash and Serena." Meyer said as the three walked along towards Sycamore's Lab.

Clemont looked up at his father and replied, "It's kinda complicated, I'm not sure if I even know myself."

Bonnie gave her father a large grin and said, "I know! Serena really likes Ash. She's known him since they were my age. The only problem is, Ash doesn't know, and Serena will probably never tell him. That's what I'm here for!"

Meyer chuckled, "Bonnie, what did I say about interfering with someone else's personal life. I remember the time you invited 5 or 6 girls to the house so that Clemont could choose a girl that he liked."

Clemont stared angrily at his sister, "So it was you who did that! Why do you always have to meddle Bonnie?"

Bonnie giggled and averted her gaze, "I know I can make this work though. They're so perfect for each other, though. Clemont is even helping me?"

Meyer lifted one eyebrow out of curiosity, "Is this true, Clemont?"

Clemont pushed his glasses up and said, "Yeah it is. I guess I just like rooting for the underdogs."

"Underdogs?"

"Well, Ash has been traveling for 7 years with all sorts of people, and yet he never has had a girlfriend. I don't doubt Serena's feelings for him, but his feelings for her are an entirely different story. They've only been reunited for a few days, so we'll have to see how that develops."

Meyer smiled as his eyes began to well up with tears, "I'm shocked. I never thought that Clemont would have the ability to gossip about relationships, I'm so happy that you found some friends."

"Dad!"

* * *

"Hi Lysandre. I'm Ash and this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pika Pi."

"Serena's my name, nice to meet you."

Lysandre bowed once more and spoke, "I just like to check in on my customers to see how everything is treating you. So you're the famous Ash Ketchum aren't you?"

Serena gave Ash a confused look and asked, "Famous?"

Lysandre nodded, "Don't you ever watch the news or Pokémon Leagues? Ash and the news go hand in hand. The events on Shamouti Island years ago, Ash was there. There's the event in Greenfield, where Ash's mother was kidnapped by an Entei. There was even the Deoxys event in LaRousse City over in the Hoenn region. Don't forget the crisis at the Tree of Beginning. Guess who won the tournament at Cameran Palace, right next to the Tree, days before the crisis happened? I could keep going on, but I'm pretty sure I've made my point."

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, a tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks, "It seems I do get myself in trouble a lot, but I didn't think I was that well known."

Lysandre continued, "Well, I'm glad that you have such a fervor for protecting the beauty of this world. We are not so different in our goals, you and I. Oh, here's your food now. I'll make my leave, you two have a good lunch. Just don't go chasing rampaging Mega Garchomps anytime soon."

As Lysandre left, their waiter approached with a tray of food. Once he had set down the food for Ash, Serena, and Pikachu, he bowed and left as well. Serena had managed to take a few bites before her curiosity got the better of her. "Did you really do all that he said, Ash?" she asked.

Ash looked up from his food and replied, "That and more. Trouble likes to follow me around."

Serena gasped, "More? How much more have you done that I don't know about?"

"Quite a bit actually. I've made friends with so many pokémon that are regarded as legendary in their own right."

"Which ones?"

"Mewtwo, Mew, Celebi, Suicune, Latios, Latias, Rayquaza, Kyogre, Jirachi, Manaphy, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and so many more."

"All of those and more? A person would be lucky to see just one in their lifetime."

"I guess that makes me super lucky."

"Jeez, Ash. You really are amazing aren't you?" Wait, I shouldn't have said that.

"Huh?"

Serena blushed and laughed embarrassingly. It seemed that Ash didn't pay attention to what she said. In order to change the conversation topic, she asked, "So, Ash, what are your plans for defeating the Cyllage City gym leader?"

Ash took a bite of his meal and swallowed before saying, "Clemont said that he was a specialist in rock type pokémon, so I figured that I would use Froakie, Gible, or Pikachu."

"Why Pikachu? Isn't he weak against rock types?" Serena asked while Ash patted the mouse on the head.

"He and I have been through a lot, type difference doesn't matter much. We'll get through it, right buddy?"

"Pika," Pikachu said as he looked up from the piece of food that he was chewing on.

Serena smiled at Ash and Pikachu. Those two were together for so long and trusted each other's decisions. It was a bond that they forged through time together. Their bond interested Serena and she asked, "So, Ash, you never told me the whole story of how you and Pikachu first met. What happened that made you two such great partners?"

"It was definitely a rocky start. I was late waking up for getting my first pokémon and Professor Oak had none left, except for Pikachu. However, he didn't like me at all at first and shocked my mom and I."

Serena laughed, "Really? How could you Pikachu?"

Pikachu scratched his cheek in embarrassment. Ash patted the pokémon on his head and continued the story, "Well, anyway, I had to drag Pikachu for such a long way by a rope, until I tried to catch a Pidgey. I was so dumb, I tried to catch it with a blanket because Pikachu wouldn't fight and instead climbed up a tree."

Serena snickered, "I can't believe Pikachu wouldn't fight a Pidgey, but it would be funny to watch 10 year old Ash try to catch it."

"Ha ha, its hilarious. So anyway, I tried to catch what I thought was a Pidgey, but it was in fact a Spearow. Big mistake, because Spearow went right for Pikachu. Pikachu fought it off, with electric attacks, but it called its friends in for back up. Soon Pikachu and I were being chased by an entire flock of Spearows. I even had to dive into a waterfall to narrowly escape being pecked to death. This is where we met our friend Misty, who 'lent' us her bike."

"She 'lent' you her bike?"

"Well, we kinda stole it. That's not the point though. Let me continue my tale. At that point, it started to rain and the Spearow had caught up with us again. Spearow were attacking us constantly, and I finally crashed the bike after taking a huge jump. Pikachu was really injured already, and we were both thrown a couple feet away from the bike. I attempted to save him by placing his Poké ball in front of him, but he refused to leave me alone. He saved both of our lives with a single supercharged Thunder attack. Ever since then, we've been inseparable pals."

"Wow, that's really cool, but you didn't talk about the most important character in the story, the bike."

"Oh yeah, Pikachu fried it. Misty didn't get a new bike for years. Pikachu also fried May's bike when we met…and Dawn's as well…and shocked Iris and Bonnie the first time they met. "

"I'm lucky then aren't I?"

"Yeah, Pikachu seems to hate bikes and girls."

Pikachu frowned, it hated being made fun of and retaliated at Ash with a Thundershock. Serena began to laugh uncontrollably and almost fell out of her chair. Ash gave her a mock intense glare and teased, "Oh, you think seeing me in pain is funny do ya?"

Serena managed to control herself just enough to say, "Actually yeah. Thanks for the laughs Pikachu."

Ash and Serena continued laughing and talking, leaving the café after a few hours. Unfortunately, this meant that Serena's plan for the day was ruined, as they didn't have time to do half of the suggestions on her mental list. She instead turned to Ash and asked, "So Ash, what would you like to do now?"

Ash shrugged, "What is there to do? I'm not the Kalos native am I?"

"I bet that you'd like the Poké Ball Boutique on the Autumnal Avenue. They sell all sorts of awesome designer Poké balls there."

Ash smiled and started off running in the direction of the Autumnal Avenue. He turned around for enough time to say, "That sounds like fun actually. C'mon Serena, I'll race you there."

Serena yelled, "That's no fair! Wait for me, Ash," and began to run after the trainer from Kanto.

* * *

Meyer, Bonnie, and Clemont walked into the Pokémon Lab to find Sycamore and an assistant chasing after a Chespin holding a box of cookies. "Chespin, c'mon. Those cookies are for everyone, not just you." The Chespin ran into Clemont's legs as he entered the lab. Chespin fell over and spilled cookies all over the floor. Clemont bent down and helped Chespin pick up the cookies off of the floor and place them in the box. He then picked up the box of cookies and handed them to a panting Sycamore. Sycamore heaved one last time and said, "Thanks Clemont. This Chespin sure likes to be a troublemaker all the time. There have been trainers that have traded out Chespin because he was unresponsive or made unnecessary trouble out of himself."

Clemont looked down at the pokémon and said, "Why would people do that? I think he's a real cool pokémon, all pokémon are." He bent down and patted the Chespin on the head.

"Yeah, he really keeps us working around here, but he's got a heart of gold. Anyway, what brings you to my lab? It's probably to pick up your Heliolisk and Magneton right?"

"That's it. My dad has decided to take the Lumiose Gym from my hands while Bonnie and I are traveling the region."

"Are you really coming out of retirement, Meyer?"

Meyer smiled and replied, "Of course! Anything for my amazing kids."

Sycamore returned the smile and said, "That's splendid. Everyone should take the time to see all the great sights of the Kalos region. Are you still traveling with Ash?"

Clemont nodded, "Yeah we're traveling with Ash and a new trainer named Serena. They're out touring Lumiose City at the moment."

"Ah yes, Serena. I remember giving her a Fennekin some time ago. I don't want to keep you from them, so let's go get your pokémon."

"Sounds good Professor."

Sycamore picked up the Chespin at Clemont's feet and motioned them to follow him. Once they entered the preserve, Bonnie and Dedenne ran off to play with the various pokémon around. Heliolisk and Magneton saw their trainer coming and immediately ran up to greet him. Clemont patted them on their heads and said, "Hey guys, I hope that you've been good."

Both pokémon cooed in response.  
"Great! Unfortunately I'm not gonna be back for a while, but Dad's here to take you guys home."

They tried to protest but Clemont stopped them and continued, "You two are the gym pokémon, and you deserve to fight there. I'll be back soon I promise."

Sycamore set down Chespin and pulled out two Poké balls. He handed them to Meyer, who recalled Heliolisk and Magneton. Meyer pocketed the two balls and said to Clemont, "Why don't we let Bonnie have some fun? We have some time and I'd like to talk to the Professor anyway."

Clemont nodded and stopped Bonnie to tell her their plans. Bonnie yelled in joy and ran off to play with Dedenne. Clemont smiled and left the room with Meyer and Sycamore.

* * *

"So this is the Poké ball boutique huh?"

"Yeah! Pretty cool right, Ash?"

"I'll say."

The outside of the boutique seemed similar to the stores around it, but inside it was quite a different story. The floor was covered in a deep red carpet, embroidered with gold Poké ball symbols. There were cases filled with different Poké Ball designs, some that Ash didn't even recognize. "What do you think Pikachu? Do some of these make you want to stay in a Poké ball?" Ash joked. Pikachu shook his head violently, there was no way that he would be stuck in one of those things.

"Ash, come look at this one."

Ash turned around to see Serena staring at a huge case with two very fanciful Poké balls. Both of them were a crimson hue with two little sections cut out of the sides, concaving parts of the seam where the ball opened. These sections were completely black and made out of rubber, possibly for a better grip on the ball. Ash's eyes opened widely and he commented, "Wow, I've never seen any Poké ball like that in my life."

Serena nodded her head, "Mmhmm, that's a real cool ball."

An older man walked up behind Ash and Serena and said, "Yeah, those are some of the rarest Poké balls out there. They're called Cherish Balls."

"Cherish Balls?"

"Yeah. They're balls given out for special occasions or commemorations. In fact, my wife and I have a little contest that we're doing to give these two away."

Ash perked up at the chance to get the rare ball. "So you're the owner of this store then. How does one win the ball?" he asked.

"It's simple really. You have to beat us in a double battle."

"A double battle huh?"

"Yep. I believe that if two people have a bond with each other as strong as my wife and I do after 60 years of marriage, that's a commemoration in itself.

"Really?" Ash met Serena eye for eye and asked, "What do you think, Serena? Want to give it a try?"

Serena could see the fire in Ash's eyes. Any challenge was easy enough for him, but she didn't know about herself, "I don't know Ash, I haven't really battled at all yet."

Ash gave her a thumbs-up, "Don't worry, Serena. We'll win together, as a team."

Serena listened to Ash's sincere words, before giving him a determined look._ I never want to let down Ash. We can do it, no matter the odds_. "Alright, I'm in. Let's do this."

The old man smiled and clapped his hands, "Splendid. Margaret, we have some more challengers today."

The lady at the counter looked up and replied, "That's great. I'll be there in a sec, John, just let me finish this sale."

John nodded and motioned Ash and Serena to follow him out the back door. Behind the shop was a small grass field with battlefield lines painted on it in white. John placed himself on the opposite side of the arena from Ash and Serena, where he waited for his wife. After a couple minutes, Margaret appeared from the shop and took her place next to John. She eyed her competition and said, "Look at these cute little darlings. I'm ready whenever you three are."

Ash nodded and looked at Pikachu, "You ready for battle, buddy?"

Pikachu nodded and jumped off of Ash's shoulder onto the battlefield cheeks sparking.

Serena pulled out Fennekin's Poké ball and released the fox pokémon, who took a battle stance in front of her.

Margaret smirked and pulled out a Poké ball, yelling, "Okay Meganium, let's go."

Out of the ball, a tall sauropod-like pokémon appeared. It had a pale green body with long yellow antennae protruding from its head. Around its neck was a collar of pink flower petals with white ends. Serena pulled out her Pokédex, which said, "Meganium, the Herb Pokémon: The fragrance of Meganium's flower soothes and calms emotions. In battle Meganium gives off more of its becalming scent to blunt the foe's fighting spirit."

John was next to go, and pulled out his own Poké ball. "I need you, Typholsion."

As the white light dispersed from the Poké ball, it left a bipedal badger-like pokémon with a cream-colored belly and dark blue backside. It roared and flames shot from spots on the back of its neck. Serena pointed her Pokédex at the pokémon, and once more it spoke in a monotone, female voice, "Typhlosion, the Volcano Pokémon: Typhlosion obscures itself behind a shimmering heat haze that it creates using its intensely hot flames. Typhlosion creates blazing explosive blasts that burn everything to cinders."

Ash gave Serena a smile and said, "Looks like we have our work cut out for us, Serena. Are you ready?"

Serena looked at Ash. The pokémon they had to battle were really strong competitors, but she saw the faith that Ash placed in her. She nodded at Ash and the battle began.

"Let's start this off right, Pikachu. Use Quick Attack on Meganium."

Pikachu rocketed forward at the Herb Pokémon and slammed right into its side. Meganium stumbled from side to side, but remained on its feet and roared angrily.

"Typhlosion, give that Pikachu a Flamethrower attack."

Typhlosion roared as well and shot a blast of fire at Pikachu. Serena called for Fennekin to use Ember, and it collided with the attack and prevented it from hitting Pikachu.

"Meganium, use Razor Leaf."

From under its flower petals, Meganium launched sharp leaves at Pikachu and Fennekin. Pikachu had no trouble dodging the attack, but Fennekin had trouble moving out of the way of the incoming projectiles.

While they were busy with the Razor Leaf, John ordered Typhlosion to use Flame Wheel. The pokémon cloaked itself in fire and charged at Pikachu. Due to Pikachu's higher speed, it dodged the attack and retaliated with a Thunderbolt. Typhlosion took the full attack and fell to the ground in front of Ash. It got back up and roared as its flame collar flared up higher.

Ash smirked and said, "Looks like we're getting warmed up, eh Pikachu? Use Thunderbolt again, but at Meganium this time."

"Fennekin, help Pikachu and use Tackle on Meganium."

Meganium jumped out of the way of Pikachu's attack, but was punched in the gut by Fennekin. It was launched backwards onto the ground, where it struggled to get back up. Margaret clenched her fists and shouted, "Meganium use Sunny Day."

Ash and Serena felt the heat suddenly increase as Meganium amplified the sun's rays. Ash knew that he had a problem, considering Typhlosion's attacks were now stronger and Meganium wouldn't have to charge for Solarbeam. He knew that Pikachu's strength was in his speed, and called for Pikachu to use Agility. Pikachu shook his muscles to relax them and began to run at faster speeds toward his opponents.

Serena figure that she could help attack more and commanded, "Fennekin use Scratch on Typhlosion."

Fennekin shouted and ran up to Typhlosion. Unfortunately, her attack missed its mark, and Typhlosion rammed the Fox Pokémon with its head. Fennekin fell to the ground in a puff of dirt. She managed to get back up in time to see that Typhlosion had launched a Flamethrower at her. The attack landed cleanly, and Fennekin went soaring back. She was seriously in trouble now, and took a really long time to get back to her feet.

Serena clenched her teeth. She and Fennekin were completely outmatched by these two veteran pokémon. As she glanced at Ash, she didn't see any fear or apprehension in his face. Pikachu was still fresh, and they both looked like they were actually enjoying the battle. He definitely had some trick up his sleeve, but what was it? Serena called for Fennekin to use another Ember, and the pokémon shot a stream of cinders at Meganium again.

Meganium saw the oncoming attack and braced itself. The effects of Sunny Day powered up the move, but it wasn't enough to hurt the pokémon enough to take it out of the battle. Margaret called for Meganium to use Vine Whip, and it launched vines at both Pikachu and Fennekin. Pikachu used his tail to swat away the vines, but Fennekin was too weak to dodge them directly. She tried to use ember to burn the attack, but it was ineffective in stopping the advance. Fennekin was thrown about like a ragdoll, but once again stood back up.

Both Margaret and John could see that Fennekin could barely fight anymore and nodded to each other. They called for a tandem Solarbeam and Flamethrower attack. Ash attempted to stop Typhlosion by commanding Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, but was too late. Fennekin tried to avoid both attacks, but was caught and launched into the air. She landed in Serena's arms, completely unable to battle.

Serena recalled Fennekin and turned to Ash. Even though she was defeated, she could still see unquestioning resolve from him. He looked back at her and gave a thumbs-up before reversing his cap. "Don't worry, Serena. You and Fennekin had a great first battle. Now watch a master at work. Are you ready, Pikachu?"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cried out as his cheeks sparked with electricity. He knew that his opponents had both taken some serious damage, while he remained unscathed. Meganium and Typhlosion might think they had the advantage, but they couldn't be farther from the truth.

Ash pumped his fist and shouted, "Okay, Pikachu, use Quick Attack once more."

"Meganium, let's finish this. Use Solarbeam."

"Give Pikachu a Flamethrower, Typhlosion."

Ash knew that a powered up attack from Typhlosion could be devastating to Pikachu, but the same attack could do much more damage to Meganium if it was caught in the crossfire. As Pikachu neared Typhlosion, the two opposing pokémon launched their attacks. Pikachu dodged them with ease and zeroed in on Typhlosion's left leg.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail."

Pikachu's tail glowed white as he smacked Typhlosion in the leg, wounding the pokémon and turning it to face Meganium. Once it figured out Pikachu's plan, it was already too late. The stream of fire snaked toward Meganium and hit it in the flank. Meganium was thrown off of its feet and landed on the ground, too exhausted to battle anymore.

John clenched his teeth to see his competitor brandishing a fearsome grin. He knew that Ash was in control of the battle, but he wouldn't give up without a fight. He bellowed to Typhlosion, "Give it everything you've got. Use Blast Burn."

Ash chuckled to himself. He knew that the attack would waste so much energy. It was better to fight a faster pokémon like Pikachu with small, speedy attacks. He commanded Pikachu to use Thunder on Typhlosion.

Typhlosion's flame collar burst high into the air as it launched a huge stream of fire at Pikachu. The wind up allowed Pikachu to swiftly roll out of the way, and he jumped high into the air. Pikachu charged a powerful electric attack and launched it at Typhlosion. The electrical energy engulfed Typhlosion in a massive explosion and launched it towards its trainer. Typhlosion tried to lift itself off the ground, but crumbled again under its own weight, too exhausted to stand.

Serena was amazed at how powerful of a battler Ash and Pikachu were. When he wasn't against top tier trainers or gym leaders, he was almost untouchable. _Why does he always find some way to impress me further every hour I'm with him?_ She ran up to Ash and said, "You and Pikachu were so awesome out there."

He smiled back and stated, "We couldn't have done any of it without your help though, Serena. We make a great team don't we?"

The elderly couple walked up to the two trainers as Margaret said, "You sure do. Both of you showed us the incredible bond that you have with each other and with your pokémon. Thank you for that amazing battle."

Ash nodded and said, "No thank you, it was really fun."

They all exchanged handshakes and John added, "Don't forget to pick up those Cherish Balls on your way out. You definitely deserved it."

As they left the Poké Ball Boutique with their new Cherish balls, the sun had already begun to set on the western horizon. Street lamps around the city had begun to flicker on and the cars in the street flipped on their headlights. It was too late for Ash and Serena to do anymore sightseeing, but this didn't bother them at all. The day turned out to be much better than Serena had planned, and she even got a memento for it. Serena eyed the metallic, red ball in her hand and said to Ash, "Today has been really awesome, hasn't it Ash?"

Ash returned with a huge smile and replied, "It sure has been. I'm just sad to see it come to a close already."

"Yeah, we should probably get back to Meyer's house then," Serena said. She placed the Cherish ball in her bag and stared down at the ground. A small blush began to form on her face as she said, "Ash…I really had a great time with you today."

Oblivious to her true meaning, Ash responded, "Yeah, me too. I'm real glad we could do this today. I wouldn't have had it any other way."

Serena felt her blush intensify after Ash spoke. She felt her hand inching its way towards Ash's, but she pulled it away before it made contact. _C'mon, Serena, cool it. Just like Clemont said: baby steps. Don't do anything that would jeopardize the friendship_. She barely managed to calm herself down as they walked down Autumnal Avenue towards Centrico Plaza and Meyer's house.

* * *

"Thanks for the hospitality, Professor, but we really have to go."

"I understand entirely. Thank you guys for coming."

Clemont and Meyer stood up and shook hands with Sycamore before retrieving Bonnie and Dedenne from the preserve. They all exchanged one more goodbye before heading out into the dying light, until they were stopped by Sycamore shouting, "Wait Chespin!"

Clemont, Bonnie, and Meyer turned around to see the Chespin from before come barreling out of the lab after them, with Sycamore right behind him. Chespin ran into Clemont's leg and embraced it firmly. Sycamore smiled at the pokémon and said, "It seems Chespin really likes you, Clemont."

Bonnie giggled and said, "I'll say."

Clemont bent down to rub Chespin's head. At that moment, a great idea donned upon him. "Professor, what if I were to take Chespin along with me during my travels?" he asked.

"Hmm. I don't see why not. We've been trying to find a great home for this little guy, but nobody will give him the love that he deserves."

Bonnie was the first to respond, "Don't worry, Professor. We'll take great care of him."

Chespin nodded his head and said, "Che Chespin!"

Clemont retrieved a Poké ball from his belt and held it in front of Chespin. "Here you go, Chespin. Just press the button." Chespin looked up at his new trainer and pushed the center button on the ball with vigor. The pokémon was sucked into the ball, which dinged as a signal of the capture. Clemont clipped the ball back onto his belt and said, "Thank you so much, Professor. I promise we'll give him the love he needs."

"I don't doubt it Clemont. Thank you for stopping by. Come see me again the next time you're in Lumiose."

"I will."

The family waved goodbye to Sycamore once more as they made their way back to the house, this time with a new friend.

* * *

_"What are you gonna show me, Ash?"_

_"I told you, it's a secret. I don't want you figuring out."_

_Serena and Ash walked along the Southern Boulevard until they came upon the Parterre Way gate. Serena joked, "Ash, you do know that I've seen the Parterre Way before, right?"_

_"Not like this though. Let's go."_

_They proceeded into the garden, where they sat on one of the benches facing the fountain. The light dribble of water from the fountain was the only sound breaking the silence before Serena asked, "So what is it that you wanted to show me?"_

_"Just wait."_

_They stared for a few minutes at the fountain before the entire garden began to light up. Serena watched as the lights began to form letters. She laughed until she read the message that the lights produced. It read, "Serena, will you marry me?" She looked to her left to ask Ash what was happening, but saw him on one knee with Pikachu holding a small box on his shoulder. In the box was a white gold ring with a brilliant, square diamond embedded on the top of the ring. She felt tears coming to her eyes as she asked, "Is this really happening?"_

_"Yes Serena. I loved you since the day I saw you. Please marry me."_

_"Yes! Yes! Of course!"_

_Serena pulled him up onto his feet and smiled as she saw the tears that were forming in his eyes as well. Ash pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Serena's left ring finger. He dragged her close as their lips touched under the bright lights. She felt a rush of energy flow through her body as the man she had loved for so long had finally proposed to her. There was nothing in the world that could ruin this moment._

* * *

"Hey, Earth to Serena."

Serena snapped out of her daydream once more to see Ash waving his hands in front of her face. "What happened?" she asked.

"You zoned out again. You've been doing that a lot today for some reason. Are you alright?"

Serena sighed, "Yeah Ash. I've never been better."

"Alright. You make me worried sometimes, you know that? I fear that you might run into a wall or post or something."

"Hah, no I'm good. I was just thinking about something."

It took them until the sun fully set to reach Meyer's house in Centrico Plaza. They stopped at the front door to see Meyer, Clemont, and Bonnie walking down the street towards them. Bonnie ran up to them and asked, "How was your date…I mean day?"

As suspected, Ash was oblivious to her obvious slip up, "It was great Bonnie. Check out what Serena and I won at the Poké Ball Boutique."

Ash pulled out his Cherish ball and handed it to Bonnie. She smiled widely and said, "Wow, you really got one of these?"

"Two of them actually. Serena has one."

"That's so cool! How did you get them?"

"Let's just say we had an electrifying comeback during a double battle with the owners."

Bonnie giggled and said, "We got something too. Clemont was given a Chespin by Professor Sycamore."

Ash looked up at Clemont and asked, "Really?"

"She's right. He just wanted to join. Here, take a look."

Clemont pulled out Chespin's Poké ball and released the Spiny Nut Pokémon. Chespin exchanged greetings with Ash, Serena, and Pikachu as they all entered the house. The rest of the night was rather quiet for all of them as they ate dinner and talked about the events of the day. Serena even baked a batch of cookies for them all to enjoy as they talked and laughed merrily through the night. After a while, everyone prepared for bed and what would be a long journey to Cyllage City. Serena, Bonnie, and Dedenne stayed in Bonnie's room, sleeping in the same bed together, while Ash, Pikachu, and Clemont stayed in Clemont's room. Clemont gave Ash the bed, considering he was a guest, and pulled a sleeping bag up next to it.

Ash could hear Bonnie and Serena giggling through the walls as he turned over in his bed to see Clemont sitting at a desk, tinkering with one of his inventions. "Clemont, why aren't you in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep. I don't feel right about making my Dad come out of retirement to run the gym again."

"It'll be fine, Clemont. I actually wanted to talk to you about that."

"Oh? What about it?"

"Clemont, when we come back to Lumiose again I want a battle with the real gym leader of Lumiose City. I don't want to battle Meyer or some invention, I want to battle you."

Clemont smiled, "Hmm. Then it's a promise, but don't think that I'll go easy on you because you're my friend."

Ash chuckled, "I wouldn't want it any other way. Thanks Clemont."

They exchanged a friendly handshake before Ash pulled the blankets over his head. He slowly shut his eyelids and gently fell asleep to the sounds of ticking ratchets, giggling girls, and the soft breathing of his partner Pikachu next to him.

* * *

**Oh jeez, not the sappy romance. Anything but the sappy romance! This was definitely a fun one to write, and I hope it was a fun one to read. Thank you all for reading and I'll see you in my next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Reunion

**Hello again ladies and gentlemen. For starters, let me just say how sorry I am that I couldn't get this chapter out any faster than I did. This one took me a while to do, as I had tons of work to do and when I did have the time to write I suffered from some severe writer's block. I really want to write more, but sometimes it's just not in the cards. But here is Chapter 6 at long last, and by Jove it's another long one. Before we start I just want to say thank you all for reading this. This fan fiction is currently sitting at 91 (?) followers and about 80 favorites. Yes, that mean that almost 100 of you are reading my story, and like it enough to get notifications of when I update. I'm gonna do a ton of writing next week for Spring Break, as I plan to give something special for breaking 100 favorites (like release two chapters in a matter of days rather than weeks). Thank you all, I don't know what I would do without you.**

**Here it is Chapter 6: The Reunion**

* * *

After Lumiose City, the group prepared for the long journey to Cyllage City. They had been travelling for more than a week, filling up on supplies only when they reached small towns along the way. Their first major destination on the way to Cyllage would be Camphrier town. Camphrier was only a day's journey away, and all of the traveling companions were getting restless for civilization.

Clemont gave an exasperated sigh. He was never one for being on his feet to long, not to mention he volunteered to carry all the food supplies for the humans in the group. He fell over backward and began to take large swigs of water from his canteen. Ash turned around to see Clemont sprawled on the ground and asked, "You tired Clemont?"

Clemont wiped the water off of his mouth and replied, "Yeah, I'm definitely not used to being a pack mule. Let's take a break here."

Bonnie ran over to her brother and sat down on his chest, adding, "For once, I agree with my big brother. I'm kinda tired." She yanked the canteen out of Clemont's hand and gave some to herself and Dedenne.

Serena giggled at the girl and found a patch of grass to sit down on next to Clemont. Ash did the same and pulled out some crackers as a snack for himself and Pikachu. He broke one in half and gave it to Dedenne, who took it gladly and snuggled back up into Bonnie's satchel. Ash turned around to get more crackers from his backpack, but was stopped by a purple, butterfly with large red eyes and white wings with black trim, a Butterfree. He smiled and said, "Wow a Butterfree, I haven't seen one of those in quite a while."

Serena pulled out her Pokédex and pointed it at the pokémon. The Pokédex spoke, "Butterfree: the Butterfly Pokémon and the evolved form of Caterpie. Butterfree has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. It can even search out, extract, and carry honey from flowers that are blooming over six miles from its nest."

Ash looked up to see that more Butterfree were coming down from the skies and trees, congregating around the group. A large number of Caterpie began to file out from the forest. Ash smiled brightly as he saw the sheer numbers of Caterpie and Butterfree around him. "Wow, where did all of these pokémon come from?" he asked, to no one in particular.

"I can answer that," a familiar voice said from the trees.

Ash looked around to see where the voice was coming from, until he laid eyes upon a young, blonde woman in a white tank top with a camera strapped around her neck.

Bonnie was the first to reply, "Viola, you came for us! Clemont I told you she was a keeper!"

Clemont immediately jumped up and yelled, "Bonnie, why do you always have to do this with every girl you see?" He extended the Aipom Arm on his backpack and dragged the giggling young girl away, the Butterfree and Caterpie creating a lane for him to pass.

Ash smiled at the siblings' antics and said to Viola, "What are you doing here, Viola?"

"I'm here to take pictures of these beautiful Butterfree. At this time every year, Butterfree from Kanto come right here to start a family. The forest around here is one of the safest places for young Caterpie to grow."

"Wow, all the way from Kanto?" Ash asked, the location perking his interest.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe that they can travel from so far away. I heard rumors about a family of extremely rare Butterfree around here too. I'm gonna find them and capture as many pictures as I can along the way."

_An extremely rare family of Butterfree? Could it be?_ "Do you think that we could join you, Viola?" Ash asked.

Viola nodded, "Yeah, I don't see why not. I could use the company, as long as Bonnie doesn't propose to me anymore." This comment received a couple of laughs from Ash and Serena.

Viola looked around at the field of Butterfree and Caterpie, pulling up her camera to snap pictures. "Hey Ash, Serena, Pikachu get close. I need to get a good picture of you guys with the Butterfree for my collection," she said as she pointed her camera right at Ash's face.  
Ash nodded and sat down next to Serena. Pikachu jumped over and placed himself between the two trainers. A group of Butterfree joined them, and landed on their shoulders and heads. Serena noticed her proximity to Ash, and slowly scooted closer. Though Ash was unaware, Pikachu was squeezed between Ash and Serena's thighs as she moved. Pikachu looked up at the female trainer to see the slight blush building on her face. He noticed lately that Serena would act differently around Ash, especially when the two were away from Bonnie and Clemont. Though she tried to hide it, she couldn't help but make obvious hints about the way she felt towards Ash. He knew how oblivious his trainer could be when it came to girls, and he decided that he would try to help Serena in any way, simply because he liked her so much, but first he needed to get away from the tight gap in between the two trainers. He pulled himself out from in between Ash and Serena and sat down on the ground in front of them.

While the three posed for Viola's pictures, Bonnie and Clemont joined the group again. Clemont made Bonnie apologize to Viola, who accepted the apology with a light chuckle. Bonnie turned back to her brother and stuck her tongue out, before running to sit by Ash and Serena. Serena smiled at the young girl and pulled out some cookies for them to enjoy. Ash spaced out watching the Butterfree fly above, and Serena nudged him lightly in order to hand him his cookie. He gladly accepted the treat and went back to watching the sky. Out of the corner of his vision, he spotted one Butterfree that looked different from the others, because of the yellow scarf that was draped around its neck. _That's him! It's really my Butterfree!_ Ash's eyes widened immensely and he shot up before bolting after the Butterfree as it flew over the horizon. Serena also stood up and yelled, "Ash, where are you going?"

Ash turned around to reply, "I thought I saw something."

Serena scratched the side of her head and asked, "Like what?"

"An old friend."

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, there was someone in the distance also watching the yellow scarfed Butterfree. It was a younger man, about 30 years old. He wore a black, sleeveless shirt that accentuated his muscular build. On his face was a week's worth of stubble, which he scratched with a gloved finger. The man set down his binoculars and pulled out a phone. He dialed a number and held the device up to his ear. It rang a few times and a female voice came through, "Dolan, is that you?"

"Yeah it is."

"What do you have for me?"

"I'm pretty sure I found the father. If I follow him, he'll lead me right to the family."

"Good. Those pokémon will be worth a fortune if you get the mother and the brood."

"What do you want me to do with the father?"

"He's expendable. Do what you need to."

"Yes ma'am. I'll call back once I have what we need."

Dolan ended the call and pocketed the phone. He grabbed a black hard case and opened the locks to reveal its contents: a large tranquilizer rifle. He loaded a couple of darts into the rifle's internal magazine and closed the bolt. Dolan shouldered the rifle and checked all the parts to make sure it was in working order. He wiped the sweat off of his brow and said, "Now, let's get me some pay," before jumping up and chasing after the Butterfree.

* * *

"What has gotten into Ash?" Serena asked Pikachu as the group chased after the young man. They dodged branches and bushes, but Ash always seemed to widen the distance between them. It wasn't until he stopped that they managed to catch up. Once they had joined him on the edge of a small precipice, Ash yelled out into the distance, "Hey Butterfree!"

Pikachu looked up to see the Butterfree, recognizing the pokémon almost instantly, and also shouted out, "Pika Pi!"

They caught the attention of the Butterfree, who stopped flying to find where the yelling was coming from. He looked down at the black haired trainer and yellow mouse pokémon. After all these years, he could never forget those faces. He felt his heartbeat accelerate as he reversed his direction in order to greet the trainer. After all these long years, he would finally see those who had helped him achieve his lifelong dreams.

Ash felt his eyes swell with tears as Butterfree landed right in front of him. Instead of holding the tears back, he shed them readily, and lunged forward to hug the Butterfly Pokémon. He whispered into the pokémon's ear, "I missed you so much, Butterfree."

* * *

"Huh? Who's that guy?"

Dolan pulled out his phone again, calling the same person from before. Once again, the strange female voice answered, "What is it Dolan?"

"There seems to be a group of trainers or something with the father. This might put a damper in our plans."

"Why should they stop you? Just get what you need and get out. Tranq them if you need to, just get me my pokémon. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am. I'll get the job done."

"I know you will. Don't call me back until you have the goods."

Dolan placed the phone back into his pocket. He set the binoculars back onto his face and continued watching the interaction between the Butterfree and trainer.

* * *

Serena watched Ash hug the Butterfree, a single tear falling down the side of her face after seeing the Kanto trainer cry in joy. She wiped the tear away and asked Ash, "So I take it that you guys know each other?"

Ash turned around and replied, "Yeah. Butterfree was the very first pokémon I ever caught. I let him go so that he could start his own family." Ash looked back at Butterfree and said, "I can't believe you're still wearing that yellow ribbon after all these years, Butterfree."

Butterfree nodded and jumped on Ash's head. He would never dream of losing such a keepsake, it became a part of him as he aged. Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder and began to chat with the Butterfly pokémon.

Ash stood up and turned to his friends, wiping the tears off of his face with his sleeve. He pointed to each of the party and said, "Butterfree these are my friends: Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Viola."

Viola snapped a pic of Ash and Butterfree as the other three came up to greet the pokémon. Serena was surprised at just how friendly Butterfree was, as he jumped on her shoulder and gave her head a hug. Ash smiled at her and said, "Looks like Butterfree really likes you, Serena."

Serena patted the pokémon on his head, saying, "Heh, yeah."

Ash scratched Butterfree under his chin and asked, "So Butterfree, where's your family? I really want to see the Pink Butterfree again."

Butterfree lifted off of Serena's shoulder and motioned the group to follow him as he flew off into the sky.

Ash turned around to Viola and asked, "What do you think Viola, do you want to see your rare bug pokémon?"

Viola nodded and said, "You bet I am. I can't miss a photo opportunity like this."

Ash motioned them to follow and the group began to run after Butterfree, journeying into a thick area of the forest. As they moved forward, the underbrush began to snare their legs, slowing the pace of the group immensely. Ash struggled to climb onto a fallen tree trunk to find Butterfree. The pokémon appeared from the nearby foliage and attempted to pull Ash along. "Hold on there, Butterfree. There's no need to rush."

Viola climbed on the trunk as Ash pulled Serena up as well. Clemont used his Aipom Arm to lift himself and Bonnie up, and he collapsed onto the curved wood, completely out of breath. In between gasps he asked Ash, "Can we stop here? I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Ash smirked and replied, "Clemont, we're almost there. Don't you want to see Butterfree's family?"

Clemont pushed up his glasses, "Sure I do, but I didn't expect to carve my way through a dense forest."

Viola nodded and pulled up her camera to snap a picture. "It's great, Clemont. This forest is a perfect place for the young Caterpie to grow up. Not many humans pass through, and the plants around here give them plenty of nutrients to live. It's like a paradise for these pokémon," she said as she took more pictures of the surrounding area.

Ash smiled and said to Butterfree, "I'm proud that you found such an excellent place to make your family. It makes me happy that you are happy." He received a slight nod from the pokémon, who flew off again. Ash turned back to the others and said, "I think we're getting close. C'mon let's go."

They followed Butterfree further into the forest, until they came upon a massive oak tree surrounded by a flat plain sparsely populated with smaller pines and aspens. Ash looked in the branches of every tree to see them filled with hanging Metapod. The green bodies of the cocoon pokémon acted as giant leaves, artificially thickening the foliage on the trees. At a closer glance, the group could see that the oak tree wasn't one large tree, but rather two smaller ones that intertwined as they grew. At the base of the connected trees was a large hollow, big enough for the entire group and all of their pokémon to fit in comfortably.

Ash watched as Butterfree flew into the dark hollow, only to reemerge after a couple of minutes. However, when he came back, he was not alone. Next to him was another Butterfree, though this one looked a lot different than Ash's. She had the same light blue arms and feet, but her body was pink instead of a blue-purple. Her wings were also tinged pink, instead of white. Ash immediately recognized her as Butterfree's mate, the same one that he had courted all those years ago. He looked back at Viola, who stood mouth agape as she looked at the pink Butterfree. She pulled up her camera and once again began to take more pictures.

Behind the Butterfree, a trio of Caterpie crawled out of the hollow in the tree. Unlike normal Caterpie, these pokémon were colored differently, as their skin was a bright orange instead of the normal green. The antenna on their head was also different, as it was a dark red instead of the usual pink. The Caterpie inched their way to their parents, eyeing the humans. One of them managed to summon enough courage, and slinked its way past its parents. That Caterpie crawled straight towards the group and began to scale Serena's leg. It continued to climb and eventually came to rest on her shoulder. Serena chuckled and patted the Caterpie on the head, "It looks like this one likes me, huh?"

Ash smiled and replied, "Yeah, it acts like Butterfree did with Misty back when he was a Caterpie. Though, you are much better at handling it than Misty was."

Serena gave Ash a confused glance and asked, "How so?"

"Misty hates bug pokémon with a passion. She didn't really warm up to Butterfree until he evolved into a Metapod."

Butterfree nodded at Ash's statement and landed on top of Ash's head. Ash looked up at the pokémon and said, "You two sure became great friends though. Right Butterfree?"

Butterfree cooed at Ash's question and nibbled his ear gently. Ash laughed and patted his old friend on the head.

Bonnie approached one of the remaining Caterpie, who hid behind its mother for protection. "Aww, this one seems kinda shy. Don't worry I'm not gonna hurt you, Caterpie. I just want to be your friend!" She extended her hand out to the Caterpie. The pokémon slowly peeked from behind its mother's wing and stared at Bonnie before slowly inching towards her. It set itself on her hand and allowed her to lift it right in front of her face. Bonnie had the pokémon too close to her face, and it nibbled on the tip of her nose. She laughed and said, "I think that this little one is hungry."

Clemont set his hand on his sister's shoulder and said, "I think we all are. Tell you what, I'll get dinner started early for all of us."

Bonnie smiled at her brother and said, "Thanks, Big Bro!"

Ash set down his bag and pulled out a small knapsack. He turned to the others and said, "That sounds like a great idea, Clemont. Butterfree, Pikachu, and I will go pick some berries around the forest so that everyone can have a sweet treat."

Serena nodded, "Alright. Pikachu take care of Ash. You know how much trouble he can get himself into."

Ash feigned a look of hurt as Pikachu laughed at his trainer's expense. They both knew that what Serena said was true. Trouble always had a way of finding Ash wherever he went.

The trio walked off into the forest as the rest of the group went to their respective tasks. Serena and Bonnie played with the pink Butterfree and her children while Clemont began to prep dinner. Viola used this time to take pictures of the rare pokémon and their home. Little did anyone know that they were being watched from the tree line.

* * *

"Hmm, looks like that guy with the Pikachu left, and he took the father with him. I guess today is my lucky day."

Dolan peered through the scope on his air rifle. The arrival of these kids sure made it harder for him than it should be. It was a good thing that he packed enough supplies to deal with the majority of them, and, if push came to shove, he never left home without his first pokémon. He pulled out the Poké ball and fingered the button, expanding the ball to its actual size. He placed it against a rock next to him and loaded a couple more tranquilizer darts into the rifle. He had one for each person, the mother, and the Dedenne that the little girl carried around in her satchel. After that, he could easily catch the Caterpie and throw them into cages. Dolan knew that he had to act now, or the father and the Pikachu boy would come back, and he didn't have enough to deal with them as well.

Dolan shouldered the rifle again, and focused the scope on the teenaged girl in the pink hat. He gently squeezed the trigger and felt the gun slightly recoil as it released a puff of air and the first dart.

* * *

Ash, Butterfree, and Pikachu walked the path in search of berries. They looked around and found a small stream surrounded by tall trees. Numerous pokémon were gathered around the stream, drinking in the cold water. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and began to sip the water. Ash patted Pikachu on the back and looked around at all the trees. Various fruits hung from the trees, and Ash picked a good number of the low hanging berries, but many more were out of his reach. He focused his attention on Butterfree and asked, "Can you fly up and pick some of those berries for me?"

Butterfree nodded at Ash's request and began to concentrate hard on the berries. His eyes began to glow a slight blue, and the berries began to pick themselves off of the tree one by one. Ash smiled at Butterfree while the berries were collected in his knapsack and said, "Wow, Butterfree, you learned the move Confusion?"

Butterfree nodded. Once he left Ash, he spent a large amount of time training himself to become stronger. It took him a while, but he learned how to use that move and many others. He really had learned a lot from his trainer, and he took Ash's advice to heart. Without him, he could never be the pokémon that he was today.

As the last of the berries made their way into the sack, Ash pulled the drawstrings to seal the opening. While he was closing the bag, he noticed some of the wild pokémon gathering around him, in search of some easy treats from the trainer. Ash happily obliged, and opened the sack up to pull out some of the berries, placing them on the ground in front of the pokémon. Ash then said, "Here you go. Eat it up!" As the pokémon snacked, Ash resealed the bag and hefted it over his shoulder, motioning for Pikachu to join him and Butterfree. Pikachu jumped back up onto Ash's shoulder, and the three began to make their way back to camp.

When they were almost back at the campsite, Ash heard a shill scream ring out in the forest. In the distance, he could see a large flock of Butterfree flying into the sky. Ash knew that something was wrong, and turned to his pokémon, saying, "Guys, it sounds like someone is in trouble. Let's get going." The two pokémon nodded, and they all ran off towards the campsite.

Once they had reached the campsite, Ash looked around to find that all of his friends were lying on the ground, unconscious. He ran over to Serena and rolled her onto her back. In her shoulder was a small metal cylinder with a red fletching on the back. He pulled it out an inspected the small needle at the end. He jiggled the dart a little, and a small drop of clear liquid dripped out of the opening in the needle."They've been tranquilized. There's a pokémon hunter around here. The question is, what did they take?"

He was torn out of his thoughts by the screaming of his Butterfree. The pokémon came flying out of his home with tears streaming out of his eyes. Ash gave him a solemn look, knowing the implications, "They took your family didn't they?"

Butterfree nodded and began to fly into the air, an angry frown creeping into his face. Ash yelled after him, "No, Butterfree, wait!" Butterfree stopped and looked down at his former trainer, questioning his judgment. Ash stood steadfast and said, "Butterfree, you don't know where you're going. If you go against a pokémon hunter alone, you don't know what'll happen to you. We're going together, but we need to find where they went. Look around the area for clues, tracks, anything. "

They searched for a while, only stopping when the group began to wake from their slumber. Serena was the first to wake up, and she rubbed her eyes aggressively. She saw Ash searching around the area and asked, "Ash, what are you doing? What happened?"

Ash turned around and replied, "You don't remember? You were drugged by a pokémon hunter. They took Butterfree's family. I bet they plan to sell them on the black market."

Serena gasped, "Then we have to help them!"

"That's what I'm trying to do. I can't seem to find any clues as to where the hunter went."

Ash helped Serena off of the ground and she dusted herself off. Slowly, the others began to wake up as well, and Ash filled them in on the situation. Soon, they were all working together to find something to help them track down the hunter. Ash soon found a gash in the ground and footsteps leading into the forest. He turned to the others and said, "Hey guys, I think I found something."

Everyone came over and Viola was the first to speak, "That's the only hint that we have. It looks like the hunter, a man by the size of the footprints, grabbed the pokémon and put them into a cage, dragging them through the forest. We have to find him before he gets away."

Clemont nodded, "Agreed, but there's no way we can find him without a bird's eye view."

Ash smiled, "I'll fix that. C'mon out, Fletchling."

Viola added, "Vivillon and I will help too."

The trainers released their pokémon in a bright flash of light. Clemont reached into his pocket and pulled out two bands with a small camera in the center. He chuckled to himself and said, "These should help us. They're small cameras that will give a live feed to this device." Clemont then pulled out a small, handheld machine with a screen on it. He continued, "They also come with a GPS system, so we can find the hunter and keep an eye on his position. Thanks to science, we will find Butterfree's family."

Ash slapped his friend on the back and said, "Great work, Clemont. Just keep an eye on the feed." He then placed a camera on each pokémon and said, "You guys go that way. If you find the hunter, keep a bead on them. We'll be following close behind."

The two pokémon nodded and flew off into the sky. Butterfree began to follow the flying pokémon, but was stopped by Ash again. "No, Butterfree. I know you're angry, I am too, but we have to work together. I can't let you go out there alone."

Butterfree felt warm tears falling down his face and nodded. He knew that Ash was right, because he was planning on fighting the hunter alone. He didn't want to drag Ash into his personal problems. He and his mate always had trouble with finding a good place to settle down, because Butterfree of her color were so rare and sought after. Finally, after seven years, they had found a relatively safe place, but they still couldn't escape from the obsessed collectors. He was beginning to feel agitated by the amount of time that he and his family had to spend running away from their problems. But now he was with Ash, his original trainer. With him, he would run no longer. He would protect his family, no matter the cost.

Butterfree looked back up at Ash. He would follow that man to the ends of the Earth. There was no other human that he could trust more. He stared into the trainer's eyes to see the same resolve that he felt in his gut. Ash understood Butterfree, and he would not give up either. The hunter wouldn't know what hit him. Ash and Butterfree stared into each other's eyes for a few more seconds, and once a silent consensus had been achieved, Ash turned to the others and said, "C'mon let's go. We can't let that hunter win."

They all chased after the two pokémon, with Clemont peeking occasionally at the screen on his device. Ash ran faster than the rest of the group, climbing over fallen logs and rocks with ease, while the others struggled to keep up, except Butterfree and Pikachu. The three were thinking about nothing else but getting Butterfree's family back, and making the hunter pay for what he had done.

* * *

"Hah, that was much easier than I thought it would be. Those kids didn't stand a chance."

Dolan laughed to himself as he pack the two cages into the bed of his truck. In one cage was the mother, a stunningly pink Butterfree, and in the other was her brood. The Caterpie slowly started to wake up as Dolan stared hard at his prize. All three of them looked up at the man and cowered in fear. Dolan smiled and said, "Nice of you to wake up. I hope you little ones are ready. You're gonna make me rich. As for your mother, well let's just say that you won't be seeing very much from now on." Dolan chuckled again and grabbed a stick of gum from his pocket. He threw the stick into his mouth and began to chew as he pulled out his phone. He dialed a couple numbers, and the same voice from before replied, "Well if it isn't Dolan again. What do you have for me?"

"I've captured the mother and her brood."

"Good, we'll be waiting for you in Coumarine City. Do you have any troubles in delivering the package safely?"

"None at all. I'll make sure they get there in one piece."

Dolan hung up and turned back to the rare pokémon. The pink Butterfree began to slowly wake as Dolan said, "You're awake too? Well I hope you're excited for a road trip. Next stop is Coumarine City."

Dolan opened the driver side door and stepped into the truck. He fumbled with the key, and managed to slot it into the ignition. As he twisted, he heard the engine sputter as it tried to get going, but it was no use. On his dashboard, he saw a large red light in the shape of a battery pop up. "Damn, looks like I'll have to charge the battery again. Screw this old bucket of rust," he said, teeth gritted. He opened the door again and jumped out of the truck, throwing his air rifle into the passenger seat. Once he had popped the hood and propped it so that it wouldn't slam shut, Dolan walked around to the trunk again. While he grabbed a charge pack and a set of wires, he looked up into the sky to see a pair of pokémon flying over his head. The pokémon then looped around and began to circle over his head. Dolan scratched his head, "Hmm, very peculiar. I wonder why they're doing that?"

In the few seconds that it took for him to take the charge pack back to his hood, all the pieces came together in his mind. "Oh no. The trainer with the Pikachu must be trying to get my prize back. I've gotta move."

"Hey! Stop right there!"

* * *

Ash ran through into the clearing to see a rather tall, brown-haired man fumbling at the front of an old rusty truck. Vivillon and Fletchling were following him for a while now, after they found him struggling through the woods with a pair of cages. Ash wanted to tackle the guy, but instead yelled out, "Hey! Stop right there!"

The man turned around to face Ash and said, "I was beginning to wonder when you would show up again."

Ash gave him a snarl as the rest of the group trickled in behind him. Through his gritted teeth he said, "You're outnumbered. Now give those pokémon back, they don't belong to you."

The man smirked and walked around to the back of the truck to grab the two cages. He came back around to the front and placed the cages at his feet, saying, "You know, son, where I come from we exchange names before we get to business. Is that lost on today's youth?"

"Enough games, give the pokémon back."

"I'm not playing a game, I told you this is business, and I'm the superior business partner."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you see, I have what you want, but there's nothing for me to gain from you. You can't demand anything until you have something to offer."

Ash sighed angrily and said, "Alright, you've got me there. I'll play it your way. My name is Ash."

"Well it sure is quite a pleasure to meet you Ash, my name is Dolan."

The two stared right into each other's eyes with fiery intensity. After a minute of silence, Dolan raised his hand and closed his eyes, saying, "Well, I can see that we're getting nowhere here. Tell you what, seeing as I need to make some quick repairs on my truck here and I don't have the ability to get away without dealing with all of you first, let's make a deal. We'll have a one on one pokémon battle. If I win, I get to take the Butterfree and Caterpie with me."

"And what if I win?"  
"Then you let me escape and I give you back your precious pokémon."

Ash thought about the offer for a second. He called his friends in close for a council while Dolan waited. After a few minutes of discussion, Ash addressed Dolan, "That seems fair, but you have to send out your pokémon first."

Dolan pulled a Poké ball off of his belt and threw it forward, "Great. My friend here has been itching for a fight. Let's go Aggron."

Out of Dolan's ball, a giant, bipedal pokémon appeared. It had dark grey skin that was covered in silver armor plating. On its head was a "helmet" that thinned out to a sharp point just beyond its snout. Adorning the helmet were two long horns protruding from the crown, just above the beast's eye level. Serena gasped at the size of the pokémon and pulled out her Pokédex to gather more information. "Aggron, the Iron Armor Pokémon and the final evolution of Aron: Aggron's steel horns can destroy the strongest of bedrock, digging holes to find iron to eat."

Ash was taken aback by the appearance of the pokémon. He had seen Aggron before, but none were nearly as strong or big as this one was. He looked behind the Aggron to see his opponent with an arrogant grin on his face. Dolan let the appearance of his pokémon settle into Ash's mind for a minute before saying, "Well, it's your turn to choose a pokémon. Do you think that a little Pikachu could possibly defeat my Aggron, or do you have something better up your sleeve?"

Ash turned to Butterfree. Instead of seeing fear on the face of the pokémon, he saw a fiery determination. At that moment, Ash knew the right choice for this battle, and he grinned back at Dolan, saying, "Go for it Butterfree. I'm counting on you."

The rest of his friends made audible gasps and Clemont shouted, "Ash, you know that Aggron is a rock and steel type, right? Butterfree will be absolutely crushed by that thing."

Ash waved off Clemont's argument and said in reply, "Clemont, not all battles are about type disadvantages. The real strength comes from the heart. This is Butterfree's family, and he will stop at nothing to get them back. He won't give up, until it's finally over."

Serena felt a light blush encroaching, and she quickly hid her face under her pink hat. _Ash is not even scared, he knows that he can do this… I know he can do this_. She felt herself scream out, "C'mon Ash and Butterfree, you can do it! I believe in you!"

Ash spun his hat backwards on his head and turned to face Dolan and Aggron. Butterfree took his position before Ash and let out a loud cry, signaling that he was ready for battle. Aggron snorted loudly and retaliated with its own battle cry, smashing its fists together before taking a battle stance. Ash smirked and began the battle, "Butterfree use String Shot."

Butterfree launched a stream of sticky silk at the larger pokémon. The white stream latched itself on the Aggron and prevented it from moving its limbs. The pokémon struggled for a bit, until it used its strength to break out of the webs. The sticky silk fell harmlessly on the ground and Aggron growled at Butterfree in response.

"Great work, Aggron. Now, use Iron Head."

Aggron lowered its head and ran after Butterfree. The horns on its head narrowly missed Butterfree, as he flew up high into the air, out of Aggron's reach.

"You may be out of reach, but that doesn't mean that Aggron can't hit you. Quick Aggron, use Rock Slide."

"Butterfree, try to stop the attack with Confusion."

Aggron grabbed a nearby rock and split it into a bunch of smaller chunks. It then proceeded to throw the rocks at Butterfree. Butterfree managed to dodge the majority of them in the air, until it grabbed the last one with its telekinetic powers. The rock stopped in mid air, right before Butterfree. Butterfree smirked and launched the boulder back at Aggron. The pokémon didn't attempt to dodge the attack, but led into the attack with its hard head. When the attack connected, the rock split into tiny pieces. Aggron shook off the attack and came out still looking as fresh as ever.

Ash shot Dolan an impressed smirk and said, "You have a really strong Aggron, Dolan. I didn't expect such a fight from a crook like you."

"I wasn't always a hunter. I actually was a trainer like you once, and this big man was my first pokémon. We've been through some hard times together, and I had to find some solid income to support my brother. So I went into hunting, it pays well and I get to see rare pokémon all the time. Once my brother left the house, I couldn't stop, the money is just too good. But this isn't chat time, we should leave personal conversations for when I'm not on the clock. Let's go Aggron, use Iron Tail."

Aggron's tail began to glow white, and it jumped up toward Butterfree, bringing its tail around for a devastating attack. Butterfree was stunned by how high the Aggron jumped, and barely managed to evade the attack. What he didn't notice was Aggron's leg, which gave a massive forceful kick into Butterfree's gut after the initial attack missed. Butterfree rocketed down to the ground, releasing a puff of dirt as he crashed. The pink Butterfree let out an alarmed cry for her mate, who struggled immensely to lift himself onto his feet. "Butterfree, are you alright?" Ash asked in concern. Butterfree looked back at his old friend and nodded, lifting itself off of the ground with three powerful thrusts from his wings.

Dolan chuckled and said, "That attack would knock out any other Butterfree. Are you sure you don't want to give up?"

"Butterfree is not like any other Butterfree, don't you see?"

"Well, then let's finish it off. Aggron use Double-Edge."

"Butterfree, use Psybeam."

Aggron charged forward at Butterfree, who launched a ray of psychic energy at its opponent. Butterfree's attack was the first to hit, dealing a small amount of damage to Aggron, who kept charging at full speed. Once again, Aggron jumped up to attack, and slammed into Butterfree with its shoulder. Butterfree took the attack again, and fell to the ground at Ash's feet. Butterfree lifted itself off of the ground and growled menacingly at his opponent.

Dolan laughed to himself and said, "Are you done yet? I want to get my paycheck as soon as possible."

"I don't think you see, Dolan. Butterfree and I won't give up. There's too much at stake here for us to lose. We won't give up until Butterfree's family is freed."

Dolan smiled, "I think that's very noble of you, but Aggron is just getting started. Go Aggron, use Heavy Slam."

Unfortunately for Dolan, Aggron began to teeter as it charged forward at Butterfree. It seemed that Butterfree's previous attack had confused the pokémon, and it tripped over its own feet, falling face first into the ground. Aggron grunted as it attempted to stand back up, and quickly fell back to the ground. Ash gave Butterfree a smile, now was their chance to get a good attack off. _How do I defeat this Aggron? I know that Aggron excel in their attack and defense, but are terrible in speed. That's it, keep it immobilized and go from there._

"Butterfree, use Stun Spore."

Butterfree flew over Aggron, releasing copious amounts of a pale yellow powder onto the pokémon. Aggron attempted to move its limbs, but its muscles seized up and it was unable to move.

Ash smirked, it seems the battle had turned in his favor, "Butterfree, use String Shot."

Butterfree wrapped all of Aggron's limbs in the sticky web. Aggron again tried to get up, but the combination of the Stun Spore and String Shot kept it on the ground. Dolan gritted his teeth together as he saw the advantage that Butterfree now had over Aggron, even with the type difference.

"Butterfree, tighten that web with Confusion."

Butterfree's eyes glowed blue again as the silk strings forced Aggron's arms against its sides and its legs together. At this point, Aggron couldn't move anymore.

"Great work Butterfree! Now hit it with everything you've got."

Butterfree began to attack Aggron with every single attack it knew. The ferocity of each attack increased as time went on, and it was using all of its strength to attack the helpless pokémon. As he was about to lay the finishing move, a red beam enveloped Aggron and pulled it back into its Poké ball.

Ash looked at his opponent, who bore a saddened expression on his face. Dolan looked up and said, "That was an amazing battle. I don't think I've ever been beaten like that." Dolan continued to pull out a key and walked up to the cages with the Butterfree and Caterpie in them. He said, "I am a man of my word, here's Butterfree's family back," as he unlocked both cages, releasing the pokémon. The pink Butterfree flew into Ash's Butterfree and embraced the pokémon. Serena, Bonnie, Clemont, and Viola ran up to Ash and began to congratulate him on his victory.

Serena sighed to herself, _why do you always have to impress me more everyday Mr. Ketchum. It's almost like you are intentionally doing this to me_. She placed a hand on Ash's shoulder and said, "You were great, Ash. I didn't think that you and Butterfree could win after he took so many attacks."

"Then you obviously don't know me."

"That's right, you never give up until it's over." _And that's why I like you._

Ash walked up to Dolan and extended a hand. "Dolan, I don't care who you are or what you do, that was a great battle."

Dolan grabbed Ash's hand and shook it, "It was indeed. Thank you, Ash. If it were in better circumstances, I would call you a friend and rival."

"You can still change Dolan. I know you love pokémon, but you don't have to hunt for the rare ones just for a paycheck."

"You know, I'm probably going to get fired when my employer learns of what happened today, but it doesn't matter. You have really changed my life Ash, thank you for that. Life is about living your dreams, not just living paycheck to paycheck. I lost myself over time, but I feel as if I've been reborn due to this battle. Thank you, Ash, for everything."

"Anytime Dolan. I hope we meet again."

Dolan nodded, and finished charging the battery on his truck before driving off into the distance, the sun waning on the western horizon.

As they walked back to Butterfree's home, Clemont couldn't help but ask, "Ash, how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"How did you turn Dolan into a good guy?"

"I didn't do anything. The way that he battled and the way he treats his pokémon spoke for him. He really wanted an excuse to leave his job, and I am always ready for a battle."

"Hmm, I learn something new everyday with you."

"When you've been travelling as long as I have, you learn a lot more than you think. It's definitely something you can't learn in a classroom."

The large oak tree came into view, and the pink Butterfree began to carry her children into the hollow in the tree. The sun was beginning to set in the sky, and they set up camp for the night. Luckily, they didn't have to set up for dinner, as all of the pots and seating were set up from the previous incident. Clemont picked up from where he left off, and they quickly at their dinner. Once they had finished, they quickly set up their tents and sat around the roaring fire, chatting about the day. After a few hours, they retired for the night, tired after a long day.

* * *

Serena opened her eyes very slowly, still tired from the events of the day before. As she opened, she could see the orange walls of the tent that her and Bonnie shared. Wait, our tent isn't orange. She quickly opened her eyes more to see that the orange was actually one of Butterfree's children from the day before. She sat up and pulled the Caterpie off of her face. "Hi Caterpie, what are you doing?"

The Caterpie scrunched up against Serena's hand and began to suck violently on her thumb. Serena started to laugh uncontrollably and yelled, "Stop, Caterpie, that tickles."

Unfortunately, she yelled too loud and she heard stomping outside of her tent. The stomping stopped for a second, until a loud crash rang out, along with Ash's voice murmuring, "Ouch."

_Sounds like I woke up my Prince Charming_. "You alright, Ash?"

"Yeah, I just was coming to check up on you. Are you good?"

Serena opened the tent to see Ash prone on the ground in his pajamas. She giggled and said, "Yeah. This Caterpie just came in my tent and slept alongside me. It just kinda startled me."

"Hmm… That Caterpie has been very friendly to you, maybe it's because Caterpie wants to travel with you. Why don't you catch it?"

"Is that true Caterpie?"

The Caterpie nodded and pointed towards the hollow. Ash and Serena turned to see Ash's Butterfree watching them from within. Ash smiled and said, "I'll take that as a yes. Even Butterfree is giving his blessing."

"Well in that case, let me grab a Poké ball real quick."

Serena grabbed her back and reached around inside for a spare Poké ball. She pulled the first one out, and it was none other than the Cherish Ball that she got from Lumiose. Ash's eyes widened as he saw the ball that Serena chose and he said, "That's the perfect ball. A special ball for a special pokémon."

Serena stared for a second at the ball and replied, "You're right Ash. This is the perfect ball. Is this alright with you, Caterpie?"

The Caterpie jumped up and down in joy and pressed the button on the ball with the tip of her nose. She was immediately sucked into the ball, which wiggled three times before dinging. Serena smiled to herself and said, "There it is. I caught my first pokémon, and at six in the morning."

"Any time is a perfect time, Serena. Great job on catching your first pokémon, not to mention it's a Caterpie, the same pokémon that I first caught too."

"I guess we're a lot alike."

"I guess so. I mean I did catch Butterfree seven years ago. You've got some catching up to do."

Serena punched Ash playfully and said sarcastically, "Oh yeah, just cement the fact that you're some god-like pokémon master."

"I am a god-like pokémon master, and don't you forget that."

"Well thanks for the support anyway."

Ash yawned, "Yeah, anytime. Well, with that out of the way, the god-like pokémon master is going back to bed."

Serena giggled to herself, "Hehe, alright. Sweet dreams, Ash."

"And to you too."

Ash snuck back into his tent as Serena fell back down in her sleeping bag. She stared at the ball for a few seconds as she closed her eyes and fell asleep, dreaming about all of the great experiences that she and Caterpie will have together.

* * *

**I hope this chapter was awesome for all of you. I wanted to give Serena the Caterpie because I like Butterfree. Expect it to evolve relatively quick, it is a Caterpie after all. We're coming up on the part of the story where I have a ton of different major arcs popping up, so look forward to those. I have also received some messages/reviews indicating that I may have overlooked the fact that Ash should have just challenged the Lumiose gym while he was there. I don't know if I just missed writing it or didn't explain it well but it is closed due to construction, especially after the Garchomp incident. I hope that adds some clarification for you guys and gals. Thank you, everyone, and I will see you (or talk to you, write to you?) in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Ambrette Coast

**Oh boy, here it is. Chapter 7 is finally here. I know I said that I would be writing a lot over Spring Break, but I never could have guessed that I would hate what I wrote. I made an executive decision, and an entire chapter was cut out, just because I didn't like it and it didn't advance the story whatsoever.**

**With that out of the way, I figured out how I can repay you guys for everything that you have given me. This story has over 100 followers and it's getting close to those 100 favorites. To show my appreciation, I'm giving everybody a chance to make their mark on this story. Starting today and lasting until the Cyllage Gym chapter (Chapter 9) I have a poll on my profile (The time period is subject to change). This poll will determine one of the next pokémon that will be caught in the story, along with what trainer will be catching said pokémon. Vote for your favorite! As a reminder, there are some choices that I know people will want, but I already have their capture planned in the story (Let me just say, Ash has at least two catches before Shalour City), and they are not present in the poll. If you have a favorite pokémon that you are dying to see caught, send me a PM with the pokémon name and the catching trainer, and I will most likely annex it to the poll for everyone to vote on.**

**Thank you all for reading, here is Chapter 7: The Ambrette Coast**

* * *

"Oh man, I love the smell of the sea."

Ash and Pikachu sat on the edge of a small cliff face overlooking the vast ocean. He inhaled deeply and listened as the waves crashed against the rocks below. The best thing about living in Pallet Town was that it was only miles from the ocean. Before he started his journey, he and his mother would often go to the beach, and he would play in the waves for hours. Still, that was nothing compared to traveling with his own pokémon, especially Pikachu. Ash smiled at his yellow companion and scratched him on top of his head. Pikachu gave him a delighted "Chaa" and rubbed up against his trainer's hand.

Ash slowly stood up and walked away from the precipice with Pikachu. A couple feet below his current position, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont were making their way up a trail that snaked its way up the hill. Bonnie reached Ash first and gave the Kanto trainer a massive grin. Serena was next, and she pulled out a canteen to take a massive swig of water before sitting down on a nearby rock, letting out a huge sigh as she sat down. Finally, Clemont crawled up onto the summit and collapsed on the dirt in front of Ash. Ash chuckled and joked, "You know Clemont, we've been traveling together for three weeks and yet you still get winded after climbing up a hill."

Clemont lifted his head slightly and replied, "Ugh, hills are not my strong suit. I still need to get into shape."

Ash laughed again, "I'm just joking with you Clemont."

Bonnie took the time to interject, "I'm not. You need to be big and strong if you want a chance at getting a woman to like you."

Clemont gave a depressed sigh, "Why do you have to kick me while I'm down Bonnie?"

Bonnie gave him a cheerful giggle and skipped happily over to where Serena was sitting. Ash knelt down and gave Clemont a reassuring pat before joining his two female companions. Serena had released Fennekin and was busy brushing her fur. Caterpie was perched on Serena's shoulder, waiting for her turn to be groomed. Bonnie sat right next to Serena, hugging Dedenne as she stared intently at the girl while she worked.

Ash took a seat right next to Serena, who gave him a friendly smile and continued grooming Fennekin. Ash smiled back and asked, "How's it going, Serena?"

Serena set down the brush and combed her fingers through Fennekin's soft fur. "I'm alright, Ash. I'm just excited to see Ambrette Town after such a long time," she said.

"When did you see it before?"

"It was for one of my mom's Rhyhorn races before she retired. But since we spent the entire time by the track, I didn't get to see any of the tourist attractions."

"What tourist attractions are there?"

"For the starters there's the world famous Ambrette Aquarium."

"An aquarium? That sounds cool. What makes it so famous?"

"Apparently it's one of the largest on the planet, and it acts as a connecting point between here and the beaches along Route 8."

Clemont lifted himself off of the ground and dusted himself off before adding, "Yeah, Ash. Thanks to the Ambrette Aquarium, travelers between Cyllage and Lumiose City don't have to traverse the mountains and caves in between. The best part is, the Ambrette Aquarium has no many admission fees, it is entirely reliant on donations from the people in Ambrette and Cyllage."

Ash gave an impressed look at Clemont and replied, "Wow, those donations must be massive to cover the upkeep costs."

Clemont nodded, "There's more though. Ambrette is also famous for its paleontological laboratory, also completely funded by investors and donations. I've heard the lab recently bought a machine from the Devon Corporation to revive prehistoric pokémon from fossils. I just have to see it for myself."

"Really? We just have to go! I'm always excited to see more ancient pokémon."

"What do you mean by more?" Clemont asked, a shocked expression on his face.

Ash scratched the back of his neck, attempting to find a suitable explanation. He turned to Pikachu, who bore a similar expression to his own. Unfortunately, he couldn't come up with a satisfactory response, and simply uttered, "Uh…"

Clemont pushed up his glasses and asked, "Are you telling me that you have seen extinct pokémon before?"

"Hehe, seen them? An Aerodactyl almost ate me for lunch once," Ash said as he gave Clemont a cheeky grin.

Both Bonnie and Serena gasped, and Clemont said, "What? How did you manage that?"

Ash's smile grew wider as he said, "Let's just say that pokémon love me."

Serena giggled as Clemont stared at Ash, mouth agape. Clemont was able to mutter, "How…why…uh."

Serena stifled her laugh and responded for Ash, "It's just best not to ask questions, Clemont. It is Ash, you know."

Ash chuckled again, "Don't worry about it Clemont. That's a story I'll have to tell you sometime." He then turned to Serena and Bonnie, and in an attempt to change the subject, he asked, "What do you two say? Do you guys want to go to the Fossil Lab too?"

Bonnie sighed, "Ugh, last time I went to another lab with Clemont all he did was talk to the other scientists. We didn't even get to see all the cool pokémon."

Serena pat the girl on the head and said, "We'll find something else to do Bonnie, you can just stick with me."

Ash jumped up off of his rock, Pikachu still perched on his shoulder. He stretched out his arms into the air and walked down the road, only turning back to say, "Let's get going then. The sooner we get there the sooner we can explore the town."

Ambrette Town was little more than a massive inlet on the western coast of Kalos. This meant that the town was actually one giant harbor, with constant sea traffic going in and out. The harbor was bordered with white limestone cliffs, pocked with various houses, shops, and offices. On the north beach, the shining roof of the Ambrette Aquarium reflected the suns rays to the east, acting as a beacon to coming travelers. Next to the aquarium sat the Pokémon Center, the first destination for the group. They walked down the cliffs, towards the scarlet-roofed building.

Once they had reserved a room at the center, the group grabbed lunch in the cafeteria. While they ate, they watched the television in the corner of the room. Pikachu and Dedenne sat at the edge of the table Currently on television was a show called the _Top Ten Pokévision Videos of the Week_. It flashed a video of a trainer and his Onix climbing up the snowy slopes of a large mountain.

Ash wiped his face with a napkin and asked, "So what are these Pokévision videos anyway?"

Serena took a sip of water and replied, "It's a very big thing in Kalos. They're special PR videos where a trainer shows off their unique relationship with their pokémon."

"Wow, so it's like a personal advertisement?"

"Umm…kinda. It's really just a fun promotional video for trainer and or pokémon."

"Hmm, why don't you try and make one, Serena? I bet that it would turn out great."

Bonnie smirked and jumped out of her chair, "Yeah, Serena c'mon! Let's do it."

Serena felt her face begin to tinge red and said, "I don't know guys. I've never done one before."

Bonnie overzealously grabbed Serena by the collar and said, "I'll help you. We'll make a Pokévision video that'll rival Aria's."

Ash gave a questioning glance to the girl, "Who's Aria?"

Bonnie pointed to the television, "See for yourself."

Ash turned to the television, listening in on the program: "Finally, our number one Pokévision video for the week: our beautiful Kalos Queen Aria and her Fennekin." The screen cut to a young, red-haired woman dancing and singing with her Fox Pokémon.

Ash smiled, "I see why she's number one. She really is cute…"

Serena gasped, _Huh?!_

"…that Fennekin."

She sighed, throwing her head back against the cushion on her seat. _Why do you have to play with my heartstrings like this?_

Bonnie giggled, "Now you get it, Ash." The girl then turned to Serena and pulled on her collar, "What do you say, Serena? Want to give it a go?"

Serena pondered for a minute and said, "Actually that sounds pretty fun. Let's do it Bonnie. Ash, do you want to help us?"

"I'd like to Serena, but I really want to go to the Fossil Lab."

Serena pouted, "Alright, I guess it's just you and me Bonnie. Let's go find some supplies for the video." She grabbed Bonnie and the two began to run off together as Serena yelled, "See you two later. Have fun!"

Ash waved them off and turned to Clemont, "So, ready to go to the Fossil Lab, Clemont?"

Clemont nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be. C'mon, let's clean up after those two and get going."

* * *

Serena and Bonnie sat together on a bench in a park near the Pokémon Center. Luckily for them, the center had an editing studio and gear for filming, and the Nurse Joy was happy to let them rent it for the day. However, they were having trouble thinking of what to do for Serena's Pokévision. "What about you running through a field with your pokémon? That would look pretty cute."

"I dunno Bonnie, that just doesn't seem right. Have any other ideas?"

"I've got it! What if you dress up as Fennekin and act like a pokémon? Even Ash would think that's cute!"

Serena blushed at the mention of the Kanto trainer and replied, "I'll just disregard what you said about Ash, but that's a great idea. So let's go over what we have so far."

Bonnie pulled out a notepad and cleared her throat, "We've got a lot of them, but we should probably narrow it down to three or four of our favorites. Good Pokévision videos are short and sweet."

"Well I'll let you pick the ones that you like the most."

Bonnie crossed out the majority of her scribbles and circled four of her ideas. "How about these, Serena?"

"Those are great. Let's get what we need and get started."

Serena shouldered the bag of filming supplies and grabbed Bonnie's hand before the two went running off into the town.

* * *

"Wow, the lab is much larger than I thought it would be." Clemont said.

"I have to agree Clemont. This place is huge. Are you sure this place runs entirely on donations and investments?"

"Yeah…"

"Pika."

The Fossil Lab was a rather impressive sight. The massive main building only acted as a lobby to the rest of the sprawling complex. Connected to the main building on either side were massive, glass-domed structures that Ash could only assume were reservations for all of the revived pokémon. Behind each building was another massive, multistoried lab for testing and analysis. While the main building was artful in its design, these labs were little more than large concrete boxes with windows scattered across in even intervals. Ash and Clemont entered through the front door, and stepped into a massive lobby with marble floors. Walking around the lobby were dozens of scientists in lab coats reading notepads and carrying stacks of paper in and out of the various side passages leading to different buildings and rooms.

In the middle of the lobby sat a massive desk manned by a single secretary. On the desk were piles of papers and books, and a single phone sat amidst the papers. The secretary was currently chatting with a young woman in a black and red button up shirt. On her shoulder was an all too familiar Electric and Normal type pokémon, a Helioptile. The Helioptile jumped off of the woman's shoulder, sprinting towards Ash, Clemont, and Pikachu. The woman turned around to see where her pokémon had gone. She looked at the coming trainers and said, "Hello Ash, long time no see."

Ash smiled and replied, "Hi Alexa."

* * *

"What do you think, Bonnie?"

Serena jumped out of the changing room right into Bonnie's view. The little girl jumped up and down in joy, screaming, "Oh wow, Serena, you look so cute." She approached the older girl and began to inspect her outfit. Serena was wearing a sleeveless pink top, only long enough to stop right above her navel, with a matching, pink short skirt. Her outfit was specially made to have a yellow and red tail on the back of her skirt. On her head was a pink hairband with Fennekin-esque ears and a large pink bow in between the ears. Bonnie giggled again and said, "Ash would surely want to catch this pokémon."

Serena blushed heavily and shouted, "Bonnie! Why do you always have to bring up Ash?"

Bonnie snickered and said, "Don't lie to me, Serena. You know that you want Ash here so that he can see you in this."

Serena's face was a bright red, and she nodded gingerly. "I guess there's nothing I can say to persuade you otherwise," she said to the young girl.

Bonnie's grin grew immensely and she shouted, "Well then, let's make an awesome Pokévision for Ash!"

Serena pulled out her two Poké balls and released Caterpie and Fennekin. Both pokémon looked up at their trainer and sung their praises towards their trainer's outfit, especially Fennekin. Serena beamed at the two pokémon and said, "Alright you guys. Let's make an awesome Pokévision together."

They set up the tripod and placed the camera on the stand, placing mikes and panels around where Serena, Fennekin, and Caterpie would stand. Unfortunately for Bonnie, she was too short to reach the camera, but she grabbed a small stool so that she could properly film for Serena, facing the lens directly at Serena and her pokémon. Dedenne jumped out of Bonnie's purse and positioned himself on top of the camera. Bonnie held up three fingers and shouted, "Alright, Serena, filming in 3…"

Serena straightened her skirt and checked the tail and ears.

"2…"

She looked down at her pokémon, quietly asking them, "Are you two ready?".

"1…"

Upon receiving confirmation from her pokémon, she gazed directly at the camera and took a deep breath.

"Action!"

**BOOM**

Bonnie jumped as the massive explosion resonated through the field, falling off of her stool. Serena ran up to the young girl and helped her onto her feet. "What was that?" she asked.

Bonnie gasped and said, "Look behind you."

Serena turned around to see what all the commotion was. To the south was a massive pillar of smoke billowing from a large complex of buildings. It took a second for Serena to process what the complex was, but it soon donned on her, "That's coming from the Fossil Lab."

"But aren't Clemont and Ash there?"

Serena frowned, "We have to help them. Whatever happened, they're in the middle of it. C'mon guys."

The girls left all of their gear behind and began sprinting in the direction of the commotion. Distant sirens wailed, and the smoke in the air began to mix with the nearby clouds, darkening the sky.

* * *

"What are you doing here, Alexa?"

The reporter smiled and replied, "Well, I'm actually here on field study for one of my pieces. I'm writing one about this lab and the others like it around the world. Using Devon's very own reanimation techniques, we are now learning more about the pokémon that were previously extinct."

Clemont looked questioningly at Alexa and asked, "If there's one thing I know about science, it's that every field is divided on some issue. How do you plan on handling the other side of this issue?"

"Great question, Clemont. Places like Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh are very progressive on this issue, and have been so for years now. However, scientists in Kalos are a little apprehensive about this technology, considering some of the pokémon that were native to this area. I've actually interviewed a good number of people who are against reanimation of fossils, and why they have such views. I'm here to prove them that these pokémon will be friendly to humans, and that we can be good partners."

Clemont nodded, "They had that same apprehension with Aerodactyl in Kanto, but I heard that they are normally pretty docile creatures."

"Exactly, but we don't know unless we can see the pokémon in the flesh."

Ash took the time to ask, "So, I'm guessing that they've already revived some of the native fossil pokémon?"

Alexa nodded, "Yeah, the Cyllage Gym Leader also came down today. He's an avid rock climber, and one of the biggest supporters for this complex."

"Where is he now?"

Alexa pointed to a nearby doorway, where a young man stepped into the large lobby. He was wearing a tight, black, shirt with long sleeves and a pair of grey pants. Around his waist was a climbing harness, and he wore a red karabiner on a chain around his neck. The quirkiest part of him, to Ash at least, was his hairstyle. It was shaped like a mountain, held up by different colored hairclips shaped like crystals. The man walked up to Alexa, Ash, and Clemont and said to Alexa, "Alright, everything is all ready for us. Are you ready to go?"

Alexa nodded, "I am. I hope it's okay if I bring along some guests."

"You sure can." The man extended a hand out to Ash, who quickly shook it, before saying, "Hello, my name is Grant, welcome to the Ambrette Paleontological Laboratory."

"Hi Grant, my name is Ash and this is my buddy Pikachu."

"Pika!"

"And Clemont's my name, nice to meet you."

Grant motioned them to join him and said, "It's nice to meet both of you. I'm getting anxious, why don't we go see some pokémon?"

Ash and Clemont glanced at each other and nodded in unison. Grant turned around and began to walk back towards the door he just recently came out of, motioning the others to join him. Through the door was a massive hallway separating multiple workrooms full of scientists with two walls of windows. These scientists were busy running tests on a group of fossils. Grant turned around, while continuing to walk backwards, and said, "Here's where all the magic happens. In these labs, the fossils that are deemed perfect are reanimated. It happens after a process that takes weeks of testing and preparations on a single fossil. This is the true first step in reanimation, which in total takes about a day to accomplish."

Ash turned his head to watch the people behind the windows. At this point, they were busy rubbing down each fossil with a thick gel. Once the gel had been applied, the scientists placed the fossils in a large metal container and inserted them into a massive machine. The doors of the machine slammed shut, and the red light on the outside of the door began to pulse slowly.

Ash turned back to see that they had reached another door, only this one was a lot larger than the previous one that they had gone through. It looked more like a door to a vault, and it screeched and hissed as Grant opened it by pressing a button on the wall next to it. Grant smiled and said, "And here is what we've all been waiting for."

Once the massive door opened, a massive smile appeared on Ash's face. A rush of warm air hit the group, nearly pulling Ash's hat off of his head. Through the door was a dirt path outlined by massive jungle trees and foliage. The group walked down the path for a while until they heard a massive thumping sound. The trees began to sway back and forth as the thumping became louder, shaking the ground underneath their feet. Out of the tree line a large, red shape inched out from behind the leaves. As the monster slowly appeared, Ash could see it fully take shape. Its head was huge, about as massive as its upper torso, and highlighted with a massive orange crest shaped almost like a crown. Around its neck was a collar of cream white down feathers. These same white feathers were also present on its huge lower jaw, acting like a fluffy beard. It had very small front arms with two fingers, which only acted as an opposite to its extremely muscular legs. The pokémon looked down at the humans before it, and began to wag its long tail, much like a Lillipup would during dinnertime.

Grant reached out and petted the large pokémon on his chin and said to the others, "This, my friends, is Tyrantrum."

The other three watched the magnificent sight, mouths agape, before Ash slowly raised his Pokédex to get more information on the prehistoric pokémon. The mechanical voice stated, "Tyrantrum, the Despot Pokémon and evolved form of Tyrunt. Tyrantrum's massive jaws are strong enough to shred thick metal plates. It lived in ancient Kalos almost 100 million years ago."

Ash pocketed the machine and said, "Wow, that is so awesome."

Grant agreed, "Yeah, Tyrantrum is definitely my favorite. This guy is a big softie, why don't you pet him?"

Ash's eyes lit up in excitement, "Really? Can I?"

Tyrantrum lowered his head to allow Ash to rub the end of his snout. He growled peacefully as Ash stroked up and down his hard skin. Pikachu soon joined in, and climbed right on top of Tyrantrum's head. The pokémon's tail began to wag even harder, and it fanned the foliage around it. Around its three toed feet, smaller brown pokémon began to file out of the nearby vegetation. These pokémon looked a lot like Tyrantrum, but had less developed jaws and crest. Ash once again pulled out his Pokédex, and it quickly responded, "Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokémon. This pokémon was restored from a fossil dating back 100 million years ago. Its jaws have enough power to chew up an automobile, and it will throw a massive tantrum if something happens that it doesn't like."

Ash once again stuffed the Pokédex back into his pocket and said to Grant, "Wow, these are some awesome pokémon. I still can't believe that we can turn fossils into these living, breathing creatures."

Clemont pushed up his glasses and added, "It's really a cool sight to see. It surprises me just how friendly these pokémon really are. I didn't expect this personality from the Tyrunt evolutionary line."

Grant added, "It is very interesting. People have had false pretenses with how these pokémon behaved millions of years ago. They are real

Alexa walked up to one of the Tyrunt and began to pet it on the head. It smiled at the woman and began to nuzzle against her. Grant reached into a bag on his climbing harness and pulled out small treats and gave them to the others, "Here give them one of these. We all know that they've earned it."

Ash gladly took the treat and knelt down, holding it out for the closest Tyrunt. The pokémon slowly stepped up and gently licked the treat out of Ash's outstretched hand. It growled appreciatively at the trainer and swallowed the treat whole. Ash gave it a gentle pat and chuckled, "You sure like that treat, don't you Tyrunt?"

The pokémon nodded and nuzzled up against Ash. While he played with the pokémon, Alexa and Clemont mimicked Ash's actions with the other Tyrunt. Once they had played for a few minutes, Grant said, "Alright, what do you say we see the other type of ancient pokémon native to the Kalos region?"

Ash looked up at Grant and replied, "I sure would."

Grant motioned to a set of double doors on the opposite side of the large room and said, "Then come with me. We still have much to see."

The group followed him through the doorway into another long hallway. However, instead of the hallway containing labs on either side, it was lined with thick layers of insulation and wires. The temperature in the hallway also decreased rapidly as they walked, and Pikachu had to scrunch up in Ash's shirt as they walked. Once they reached the other end of the hallway, Grant stopped them and opened up a locker next to the doors. He pulled out four thick coats, putting one on himself and handing the other three to Ash, Clemont, and Alexa. Ash gladly took the coat and zipped it up around himself and Pikachu. He thrust his hands into the side pockets and rubbed them against the furry lining inside in an attempt to warm them up. "Grant, why is it so cold?" he asked.

"Well you see the pokémon in this next room thrived in a real cold climate. In order for them to live here, we had to install coolers in order to maintain the cold temperature. We have another one just like this on the opposite side of the complex."

"How cold do you keep it?"

"We tend to keep it slightly under the freezing temperature of water."

Grant pulled on a pair of mittens and opened the doors into the next room. Unlike the last room, this one was full of powdery white snow. In the center of the room was a large, frozen lake surrounded with lush evergreen trees. Lumbering about the reservation were multiple blue, sauropod pokémon. The larger pokémon were a much darker shade of blue and had two massive sail-like protrusions around their necks, changing colors as they wafted in the light cross breeze. Running around their legs were their young, who were a much lighter blue with less developed sails on their heads.

Ash stepped onto the snow-covered ground. His feet sank in a couple inches, and stamped his footprint into the white canvas. As he walked, he left behind a trail of prints, and Alexa, Grant, and Clemont followed suit, creating their own tracks through the snow. The pokémon living in the reservation turned their heads to watch the humans approaching, and the young ones ran up to greet them. Once they came closer, Ash could see just how large the pokémon were. Each one came up to his upper chest in height, and they walked around on four extremely powerful and muscular legs. Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the pokémon: "Amaura, the Tundra Pokémon. This pokémon lived over 100 million years ago in cold climates where there were no violent predators to prey on them."

Ash then moved the Pokédex to scan the larger ones: "Aurorus, the Tundra Pokémon and the evolved form of Amaura. Aurorus has diamond shaped crystals on its body which can expel cold air to freeze enemies."

He placed the Pokédex back into his pocket and turned to Grant to ask, "Hey Grant, do you mind if I pet one?"

Grant nodded and pulled off his mittens, handing them to Ash, "Yeah, but it would be more comfortable to pet them if you wore gloves. Their bodies are extremely cold for defensive purposes."

Ash gladly took the gloves from Grant and placed it on his hand before slowly approaching the group of Amaura. They eyed him for a second before all yelping in joy and tackling him to the ground playfully. Pikachu managed to jump off of Ash's shoulder before he fell over. Ash smiled and laughed as the Amaura playfully played with him, licking him with their ice-cold tongues. "Stop it. That's so cold and ticklish," he tried to say as they smothered him with affection.

Once they had managed to pull the Amaura off of Ash, Grant said, "Yeah, those Amaura are very playful pokémon. They'll play with just about anyone who visits."

Alexa was busy furiously writing on a notepad. "Wow, I've got so much on these pokémon. This is gonna such a great article, it'll even rival those of the writers of the Castelia Times. Thank you so much for giving us this tour Grant," she said, keeping her eyes glued to the pages she was scribbling on.

"Anytime Alexa," Grant replied.

Ash looked at Grant and asked, "So what do we do now?"

Grant thought for a second and said, "We could go and get some food at the cafeteria. I'm planning on leaving soon, so that I'm rested for all of the new challengers at the Cyllage Gym."

"Well don't worry Grant, you have one right here. I'm heading to Cyllage City for the purpose of receiving your badge, and I don't plan on leaving without it," Ash said, pumping his fist in the air.

"Well then, consider me another great wall for you to climb on your way to the Kalos league. You have to be ready though, my pokémon are always ready to rock out."

The group began to walk out of the reservation, but as soon as they opened the door a massive explosion rang through the building, knocking them down onto their feet. The roof above them began to crumble and fall as large robotic hands dropped down and grabbed three of the Amaura, placing them in a large cage. The Aurorus were stunned by what happened, and began to cry loudly, attempting to run after their young. Ash watched as the scene unfolded and yelled out, "What is going on right now?"

Through all the commotion, an amplified duo of voices rang out, "Prepare for trouble."

"Make it double."

Ash clenched his teeth, immediately recognizing the opening lines of Team Rocket's motto, and snarled, "Not again."

Once the smoke had cleared slightly, he could see the crooks in their iconic Meowth balloon. As if waiting for him to see them, they continued, "To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie."

"And James."

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now or prepare to fight."

"Meowth, dat's right!"

Ash grew angrier and yelled out, "You better give back those pokémon, you thieves."

James combed his fingers through his violet hair and said, "Why should we? Ancient pokémon are worth their weight in gold, and they're extremely powerful to boot. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some Tyrunt to steal."

The balloon began to drift away as another explosion hit Ash's ears. It was certain that they were busy stealing the Tyrunt from the nearby preserve. He turned to the others and said, "C'mon, we have to help them. There's no way that we'll allow the thieves to take those pokémon."

Grant nodded and said, "There's more to that though. Tyrantrum are extremely defensive, and taking their young will only anger them to no end. If they manage to steal his children, there's no real way for us to calm him down until we can get them back."

Clemont added, "Then there's no time to waste. C'mon let's go."

They ran back to the Tyrantrum preserve to see a very similar situation to the one in the Aurorus preserve. In the center of the room sat the singular Tyrantrum, who yelled out in rage and began to sprint at full speed in the direction that the balloon was moving. Even the wall in between him and his children couldn't stop him, and he bashed through with tremendous force, continuing his chase of Team Rocket. Ash gasped and said, "We have to help Tyrantrum and the captured pokémon. Fletchling I need you." He pulled out a Poké ball and released the Tiny Robin Pokémon. "Fletchling, go and find that balloon and report back to us."

The pokémon nodded and flew off after Tyrantrum and Team Rocket, followed closely by Ash, Clemont, Alexa, and Grant as they ran through the hole that Tyrantrum had made.

* * *

"Serena, it's Team Rocket! We have to follow their balloon."

Serena turned her head to see where Bonnie was pointing as they ran toward the Fossil Lab. She spotted the hot air balloon carrying a large cage full of pokémon. Following it was a large, furious dinosaurian pokémon firing off streams of blue flame into the air after it. Serena nodded at Bonnie, and they continued running after Team Rocket.

Team Rocket's balloon began to slow down and sink to the ground, possibly because of the weight of cargo that it was carrying. Unfortunately for them, the balloon sunk low enough to allow Tyrantrum to extend his neck and grab a hold of the side of the basket with his powerful jaws. He violently shook his head back and forth, receiving screams from the passengers in the basket. Serena and Bonnie had caught up and were busy running toward the scene when a flash of blue blindsided Serena and knocked her down. She opened her eyes to see none other than Ash sprawled on top of her.

He quickly lifted himself up and dusted off his clothes. As Serena did the same, he caught sight of the outfit that she was currently wearing. There was no doubt that she and Bonnie were in the middle of filming for her Pokévision when they came running to help, as she was wearing a costume emulating her Fennekin. He felt his stomach twist, and he could barely take his eyes off of her. Her pink top was short and tight, revealing her stomach and hugging the contours of her upper torso. Her skirt was noticeably shorter than the red one she usually wore, stopping halfway up her fair-skinned thighs. The constant traveling of the past few weeks had really slimmed down her body, amplifying the definition of her muscles. She seemed to glow in the sunlight, and she gave him a small smile. He felt his face start to heat up and tried to say, "Uh…hey Serena. You look… You look amazing." _Wait, since when do I care about a girl's outfit. What is happening to me?_

Serena's face grew extremely red after Ash spoke, and she attempted to hide the blush with her hair._ I'm getting a compliment from Ash on my looks. Young Serena could only dream about this._ "Thanks Ash, I put a lot of effort into this outfit. We were busy with the Pokévision when we heard the ruckus, and we just had to come and help."

"Well I'm glad that you came."

The two continued to stare the other in the eyes until they heard Jessie yell from the balloon basket, "Pay attention to us! Can't you see that we're trying to steal some extremely rare pokémon. Hell, we're currently being attacked by a freaking dinosaur, and you two are busy ogling each other like a couple of lovesick pre teens instead of paying attention. C'mon, we put a lot of effort into our jobs. The least you could do is pay us some respect."

James shook his head, "Jess, you know the only reason that were here is to be a shameless plug by a lazy author so that the main twerp can start to develop feelings for the girl twerp through a strong physical attraction. It's really sad that he can't just advance a romantic relationship between two characters without pulling some gag."

Meowth slapped him against the face and yelled, "James, leave the lovey dovey crap for a different chapter, we're here ta steal some pokémon!" He pushed a button, and an air cannon hidden in the basket shot a rush of air, launching Tyrantrum off at extreme speeds against a nearby tree. The force was powerful enough to uproot the tree, and Tyrantrum was unable to get up and continue attacking Team Rocket. The blast's power also pushed the balloon back into the air, just out of everyone's reach.

Luckily for the people on the ground, Fletchling came barreling in from the sky and swiped straight through the balloon, and the basket came hurtling down to the ground, throwing Team Rocket clear from the crash when it landed. The cage carrying the captured pokémon fell from under the balloon, and landed next to the thieves. James was the first to get up and yelled out, Poké ball in hand, "You still won't stop us. Come out, Inkay!"

Jesse pulled out her own Poké ball and added, "Let's go, Pumpkaboo."

Serena instinctively pulled out a Poké ball and said, "Alright, Caterpie, I need you."

As Caterpie appeared from the ball, Team Rocket began to snicker, "Really a Caterpie? You're gonna try using that worm against us?" Jesse asked while laughing.

"That's insulting to me. Defeat that worm with a Psybeam, Inkay."

"Go Fletchling, stop Inkay with a Wing Attack."

As Inkay attempted to attack, it was instead blindsided by Fletchling ramming into it at high speeds. The Revolving Pokémon fell to the ground in a puff of dirt.

Jessie clenched her teeth at the recent events and shouted, "Pumpkaboo, show that twerp who's the boss, use Shadow Ball."

The Pumpkin Pokémon charged a dark sphere and launched it at Fletchling. The flying pokémon easily dodged the attack and countered by ramming his beak into Pumpkaboo. The super effective attack landed cleanly, and Pumpkaboo reeled back, extremely hurt.

Inkay quickly recovered from before, and slammed into Fletchling from behind. Fletchling coughed as the wind was knocked out of his lungs from the brunt of Inkay's assault. Ash gasped as his pokémon fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Fortunately, Fletchling quickly recovered, and took to the skies again, ready to attack again.

"Alright, Caterpie, we have to help Ash and Fletchling. Use String Shot!"

Caterpie nodded at her trainer and fired a stream of sticky silk at Pumpkaboo and Inkay. The silk wrapped itself around the two pokémon and constricted their movement greatly. Ash and Fletchling took this as an opportunity to attack, and Fletchling came in for another Wing Attack. Even though they were slowed, Inkay and Pumpkaboo still had the ability to charge their separate attacks and launch them at the Tiny Robin Pokémon. Fletchling was moving too fast, and was unable to dodge in time. Both attacks landed, and Fletchling was thrown to the ground in front of Ash. The pokémon lifted himself off of the ground, but stumbled around confusingly.

Ash grit his teeth and said to himself, "Inkay's Psybeam must have confused Fletchling. He's no good now." Ash then pulled out Fletchling's Poké ball and returned the pokémon. He clipped the ball back onto his belt and began to pull out another, before Grant stopped him.

Grant smiled at the trainer and pulled out his own ball from one of the bags on his harness, "Don't worry Ash, I have this under control. Let's go, Onix."

Out of the ball appeared the massive rock snake, staring angrily at its opponents. Grant turned to Serena and said, "Let's finish this now."

Serena nodded and commanded to Caterpie, "Okay, use String Shot once more."

Caterpie shot another stream of silk at Inkay and Pumpkaboo, completely closing them off in a large white ball. The ball containing the two pokémon dropped to the ground and bounced a couple times before finally resting on the grass.

Grant smiled again and shouted, "Onix, use Flash Cannon."

The dual rock and ground type pokémon fired a stream of blinding white light at the concealed pokémon, releasing them from their prison while launching them at their respective trainers. Onix charged up once more and released another Flash Cannon at Team Rocket. Once the attack made contact, the ground erupted in a plume of smoke and dirt, and the thieves were sent flying off into the distance.

Ash chuckled to himself, "Glad that's over with."

Clemont placed a hand on Ash's shoulder and asked, "They just don't know when to give up do they?"

"They've been following me for years, I'm still surprised that they haven't been killed by all the different times they've been shocked, blown up, thrown, and launched by me and my friends. They're pretty resilient."

Grant nodded, "At least we saved the pokémon. C'mon, let's get them out of that cage."

The group ran up to the cage of captured pokémon. While the cage suffered a large fall, none of the Tyrunt or Amaura were terribly injured, just a few scratches here and there. Ash called on Pikachu, who used an Iron Tail to break through the bars, releasing the pokémon from their trap. At this point, Tyrantrum slowly lifted himself back up, and ran up to his children, rubbing his nose against each Tyrunt individually. One by one, he picked them up off of the ground gently with his maw, and placed them on his back before walking slowly back in the direction of the Fossil Lab. The three Amaura hopped onto Grant's Onix as it followed after Tyrantrum.

Serena smiled at her Caterpie and asked, "We did awesome didn't we, Caterpie? We saved a bunch of pokémon."

Caterpie didn't respond, but simply looked to the sky. Serena wondered what she was doing when Caterpie suddenly began to shoot strings of silk up into the air. As they landed on her orange body, she began to glow white and change shape. Once the white light dispersed, a completely new pokémon stood before her.

The pokémon had a burnt orange, crescent shaped body. Her skin was much harder than in Caterpie form, and shone brightly in the light. The pokémon didn't move, but simply stared at her trainer while she pulled out her Pokédex. The device broke the silence, "Metapod the Cocoon Pokémon and the second stage in Caterpie's metamorphosis. This pokémon protects itself with a hard outer shell while it prepares for its next evolution."

"Wow Metapod, you evolved," Serena said excitedly.

Bonnie ran up to the pokémon and rubbed her cheeks against the outer shell of Metapod, saying, "You're so awesome. You're almost a Butterfree now. I can't wait to see you stretch your wings for the first time."

Serena recalled the newly evolved pokémon back into her ball and placed it back in her bag. She smiled at Bonnie and asked, "So what do you say? Are you ready to go back and continue filming?"

Bonnie beamed widely at Serena and replied, "Of course! Let's do this!"

Serena smiled and turned to Ash, embarrassingly asking, "So Ash, what about you? Do you want to help us too?"

Ash gave her a blank stare, completely entranced by the position of her body. She was so strangely alluring to him, and the way that she asked him to help was…cute, in a way. He came back to reality after Pikachu administered a light shock on his shoulder, and finally replied, "Yeah… Sure I'll help you, Serena."

Serena smiled inwardly, _He can't take his eyes off of me. Maybe I should wear this more often._

Grant rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, I'll leave you guys to that. I'm gonna head back to the Cyllage Gym, I still have work to do."

Ash quickly turned around and asked the older man, "You better be ready for when I show up. I'm gonna give you the challenge of your life."

"I look forward to it, Ash. I'm excited to see more of your skills in battle. I'm another wall for you to conquer, but I won't go easy. You better be ready."

With that, Grant began to walk back toward the Fossil Lab to retrieve his Onix, leaving the five people on the hill, until Alexa said, "I should leave to. I've got a piece to finish before I print it in the next paper. I'll see you guys later." Like Grant, she also walked away, leaving Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Serena, Pikachu, and a sleeping Dedenne alone again.

They stood around in complete silence for a few minutes before Bonnie finally shouted, "What are we standing around for? We've got a Pokévision to shoot and only a few hours of sunlight left. Move! Move! Move!"

* * *

"Ugh, I'm so tired now."

Ash and Clemont lounged on a couch in the Pokémon Center. The sun had set a few hours ago, and they just recently ate dinner after a long day of both touring the Fossil Lab and filming for Serena. Both of them were passing time by watching trainers go by while Bonnie and Serena edited the Pokévision video. After what felt like an eternity, Serena walked out and said, "C'mon into the theater guys. We're all ready."

Ash immediately jumped up and shouted, "Alright, finally. I'm so excited to see it."

Serena giggled at Ash's enthusiasm, "Well it's pretty great. C'mon c'mon!"

They walked into the room and sat on the couch alongside Bonnie and Dedenne. On cue, Bonnie clicked a button and dimmed the lights, and the image was projected onto a white screen on the wall.

The first scene was Serena and Fennekin running in a field, and Serena narrated, "Hi everyone, my name is Serena Gabena, and this is my partner Fennekin."

The scene shifted to one where Serena, Fennekin, and Metapod were busy baking cookies, "We love making baked treats for ourselves and our friends…"

Another shift, now to Serena in an elaborate ball gown holding Fennekin in one arm and Metapod in the other, "…And we love looking our best all the time."

In the next scene, Serena sat on the ground, in her Fennekin costume, laughing alongside both of her pokémon, "But that doesn't mean we can't be quirky and funny."

Finally, the video showed a scene of the entire group waving at the camera, "If you see me or my friends here, don't be afraid to come say hi."

Bonnie flipped the lights back on and they all started clapping at Serena's work. Clemont was the first to announce his praises, "Wow, that was pretty good Serena."

Serena laughed nervously, "I guess 'pretty good' is a compliment." She turned to Ash and asked, "What do you think, Ash? Did you like it?"  
Ash smiled, "Like it? I loved it! It was really well made."

Serena blushed once again, and said, "Thank you very much."

Bonnie put on a mock pouting face and said, "What about me. I did all the behind the scenes work."

Serena giggled, "Yes you did Bonnie, and you did your job real well."

Ash yawned, "Well its been fun, but I'm gonna go to bed. We've got a long day of travel before we get to Cyllage, and I want to defeat Grant as soon as possible."

Pikachu added to Ash's statement with his own yawn, and he rested his head against Ash's, falling asleep instantly.

The others nodded, and watched as Ash left. They continued to talk for a while before also retreating to the bedroom.

Serena finished her nighttime preparations and came into the dark room to see all of her friends sleeping soundly in their beds. She approached Ash's bed and stared at him while he snored gently. Serena smiled and held a hand to her heart, softly whispering, "Sweet dreams, Ash," before climbing into her own bed to fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

**There you go, finally. Don't say I didn't do anything for you. Thank you once again, the fact that you have read this chapter means that you actually took the time to read through the first six chapters. I know it's a slow grind, but I hope its amazing to read. Don't forget, if you want your voice to be heard in deciding which pokémon should be caught next, then go to the poll on my profile.**


	8. Chapter 8: Exploring the Depths

**Hello again everyone!**

**I'm back with another chapter. I wanted to set a two week deadline for this one, but it turned out to be more like 16 days...whoops. Anyway, it's here, and it's definitely a long one to be sure. I spent a lot of time on this one, and I think it turned out really well.**

**One more thing, this fanfic has recieved over 10,000 views! You all are really awesome people. Thank you for supporting this story.**

**Don't forget to vote in the poll on my profile. DO EET!**

**Chapter 8: Exploring the Depths**

* * *

_The forest was dark, and the full moon barely illuminated anything under the thick foliage of the trees. Even so, Serena still trudged on, alone in the night, or so she thought. Her mind and instincts told her otherwise, something was most definitely watching, hunting her through the brush. A loud roar erupted through the woods, chilling her down to the bone. She frantically looked around, trying to find the source, but the darkness enveloped the trees around her. Serena began to sprint as fast as she could away from the awful din, but it only grew louder with each passing step. The plants began to tug at her, scraping and pulling at her skin and clothes. She stepped out into a small clearing and looked towards the sky. The moon had fully been swallowed by thick, black clouds ambling slowly in the distance. A single drop of water fell on the tip of Serena's nose, then another, until a torrent of cold rain began to tumble onto the ground. Within a matter of seconds, Serena's entire body was dripping wet, and she began to shiver relentlessly._

_A cackle rang out through the woods, actively surrounding Serena in a cacophonous cloak. She peered into the woods to see a pair of crimson eyes shining through the thick vegetation. She felt the tears beginning to flow down her face, combining with the droplets falling from the heavens. The eyes began to move forward, and the beast's shadowy form began to appear. Serena attempted to step back, but tripped over a root and landed in a muddy puddle behind her, shooting pain up through her back. She looked up to see the monstrosity slowly inching closer, as the cackling grew louder and louder. She shut her eyes in preparation as the form raised its arm to attack the helpless woman._

_A deep rumble echoed through the clearing and Serena looked up just in time to see a large bolt of lightning strike her assailant from the side, and she turned to see a small, angry mouse, a pokémon, staring directly at the beast. His red cheeks were sparking with electricity as he stood there silently, intensely eyeing his opponent. The beast turned to face the mouse and roared out once more before charging the pokémon. In an instant, the pokémon jumped up, slamming the monster with a glowing white tail._

_As soon as the fight had started, it was over. The shadow was sent flying back against a tree, splintering the bark and wood in all directions. The pokémon moved to finish off its opponent, and Serena heard a familiar male voice shout out, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt." Pikachu let loose another strong crack of lightning, striking the terrifying beast. After the successful attack, the beast's shadowy form began to dissipate. Serena smiled at Pikachu, who simply smiled back before it turned to face another person making their way out of the forest._

_Serena shifted her eyes to see the man step into the clearing. He walked towards her, his messy, ebony-colored hair flowing from the red cap that sat on his head. The falling rain began to slow its pace as he approached, and had completely stopped once he had halted right in front of Serena. His clothes were completely dry, and he extended an arm out to the fallen woman. She gingerly took his hand, and he pulled her back up onto her own feet. As she stood, she made eye contact with his auburn eyes. They were fixed right on her, and they emanated an aura of compassion and safety. The man slowly pulled her into a hug and said, in a smooth, baritone voice, "Don't worry, Serena, you're safe now."_

_"Th…thank you, Ash," she managed to reply._

_Ash gently grabbed her chin and began to pull her head closer to his own. The clouds dispersed, leaving the bright moon and stars in their wake. Closer and closer their faces came until finally…_

* * *

Serena jolted up as a pillow came crashing down on her face. She pulled off the white cushion and threw it against the wall, rubbing her eyes as she looked around the room. At her bedside stood Bonnie, who smirked at the sleeping trainer. The blonde girl sighed, "Finally you're awake. I've been trying to wake you up for almost ten minutes now. You always take too long waking up!"

"Well couldn't you have woken me up a little later…without slamming a pillow in my face?"

"No I couldn't. While you were dreaming about Dream Ash, Real Ash and my brother went downstairs to get breakfast."

Serena felt her face heat up, "Why do you automatically assume that I was dreaming about Ash?"

Bonnie crossed her arms, "Because it's so obvious. I mean with your extremely cute, blushing face and the way that you're caressing that pillow, there's no doubt that you were thinking about him."

Serena looked down to see the death grip that she had on her own pillow, and her face flushed into a deep shade of red. She jumped up from her bed and said to the young girl, "You're way to clever for your own good, you know that?"

Bonnie beamed at the older girl, "Of course! Now get moving. We need to see all there is in the aquarium before going on to Cyllage, and you're burning precious daylight."

The girl was right. Every day, Serena was always the last one to get out of bed. Maybe it was the fact that she always used to have Rhyhorn race practice in the mornings, and she would take every opportunity for a few extra winks of sleep. Maybe it was the fact that she was just tired from constant days of travel. Maybe it was just her magnificent dreams about Ash, because the real one was just less _romantic_ than the one in her dreams. She decided to shrug it off, there was only so much that dreaming about him could do. Dreams could heighten expectation to impossible standards, and the final product, no matter how great it was, could be absolutely disappointing. Still, she couldn't help it. There was something about Ash, about the way he walked and talked, that drew her in. Ever since she met him, he had a burning passion in his eyes, and the confidence to drive him forward. He cared for everything and everyone, no matter what.

Serena slowly made her way to the bathroom in order to take a long awaited shower. As she cleaned herself off, she began to drift off, a myriad of ideas floating in her mind. A loud knock on the door snapped her out of her daze, and an all too familiar male voice asked, "Are you alright in there, Serena? You've been in the shower for quite a long time."

"Yeah, Ash, I just zoned out."

"Oh, okay. Well I brought you some breakfast. I thought that you'd be hungry, so I grabbed an extra plate. I'll just leave it here and give you some privacy. Come downstairs when you're ready."

Serena quickly jumped out of the shower and wrapped herself with a warm towel before going into the group's shared room. Everyone's bed was neatly made except for hers, and on the desk in the back of the room was a plate of food. The food was delicious, although somewhat cold, and she hastily threw on her clothes and made her bed before joining the others in the main lobby of the Ambrette Pokémon Center. Ash sat on a bench throwing a Poké ball up into the air and catching it while Pikachu and Dedenne played on the ground between his outstretched legs. Bonnie sat next to him intently watching the two pokémon play, a wide smile present on her face. Clemont was again tinkering on a block of metal parts, no doubt another one of his crazy inventions. They all turned their heads to see Serena approaching and Ash asked, "Awesome, you're here. Now we're ready to head through the aquarium and make our way to Cyllage City. I'm so excited to get my next badge."

Bonnie tugged on the trainer's sleeve and asked, "But we're gonna spend a lot of time in the aquarium right? I don't want to just blow through it."

"Of course, Bonnie, it wouldn't be right if we didn't see everything the aquarium has. Like Serena said, it is world famous."

Bonnie leaped up, arms in the air, yelling, "Yay! C'mon guys let's get going," before grabbing Dedenne in her arms and sprinting through the front door.

Clemont stowed his project in his pack and turned to Ash, "We better get going before Bonnie has a fit. She's been waiting to see the aquarium for a long time now."

Ash nodded, "Best not keep her waiting any longer. C'mon, Serena, Pikachu, let's get going."

Pikachu leapt onto his perch on Ash's shoulder as the group left the Pokémon Center into the warm sun. A cool ocean breeze flew in from the west, rustling the leaves of the nearby trees, adding to the chirping Pidgey resting on the branches. Cars slowly rolled up and down the street as men and women on the sidewalk strolled to their next destination. A lot of the traffic was directed to the west of the center, in the direction of the Ambrette Aquarium.

It didn't take long for them to reach the aquarium, and once they approached the massive structure, the group could see how splendid it truly was. The entire building was four stories high with massive windows all around the façade. They entered the set of double doors into the aquarium, and marveled at the sight of the massive foyer. In the center was an enormous glass case containing a massive pool of water. In the water were dozens of different water type pokémon doing their daily activities. Bonnie squealed in glee and ran up to the habitat, pushing her face against the glass. A woman sitting at a desk next to the front door smiled at them and said, "Welcome to the Ambrette Aquarium, please enjoy your stay."

They made their way down a set of stairs wrapped around the massive central habitat. At the bottom of the stairs sat large tunnel of glass submerged in water. Up and down the tube were groups of people staring out into the water, watching the pokémon through the glass. Above their heads, a loudspeaker blurted, "Welcome one and all to the Ambrette Aquarium. The attraction you are seeing now is not full of captive pokémon, nor is the habitat artificial. This entire walkway is build thirty feet under the surface of the ocean, and all the pokémon you see here are wild. We wanted to show our patrons an authentic maritime experience, and what better way than to show them a window into the deep blue itself?"

Bonnie once again squealed and grabbed Clemont's hand, forcefully pulling him forward as she ran into the tunnel saying, "C'mon, Clemont, let's go see all of the awesome pokémon, they're so cool."

"Bonnie, stop pulling so hard. I thought you wanted to go slowly through this."

Ash could only laugh at the two as he and Serena slowly made their way through the tunnel. The tunnel had an arched roof of glass, and sat on the sea floor under a shelf of thick rock. On all sides were groups of pokémon swimming around, either playing with each other or staring at the people in the tunnel. One of these pokémon, a Seel, sat in front of the glass making strange faces at a young child on the opposite side. The child just laughed and made his own face at the pokémon. The two continued to play for another couple of minutes, until the child's mother decided it was time to move on.

Serena stopped and stared out into the ocean and spoke to Ash, "Look Ash, there's a group of Poliwag out there." She pointed out into the ocean, and Ash followed where she was pointing to see the group of Tadpole Pokémon.

He smiled and replied, "Yeah, it kinda reminds me of the first time we met, when I had to help you up. You're not scared of these ones are you?"

Serena lightly punched his arm playfully, "Ha ha, Ash, very funny. I wasn't scared of the Poliwag the first time. It just startled me, that's all."

Ash's smile grew wider, "As long as you don't fall over and hurt your knee after seeing a harmless pokémon. I don't know if I have enough handkerchiefs to treat you."

"Ash!" Serena cried out, blushing slightly at his statement.

They continued on through the tunnel behind Bonnie and Clemont. Serena took one last look to the right and spotted a group of pink, heart-shaped pokémon. She smiled wide and said, "Ash look! There's a group of Luvdisc over there."

Ash stepped back to see the group of Rendevous Pokémon and said, "Wow that's awesome."

They didn't notice Bonnie running up behind them until she said to them, "You two know that there's a legend about Luvdisc right?"

Ash turned to the girl and shook his head, "No I didn't. Enlighten us, Bonnie."

Bonnie gave a sly smile and said, "The legend says that a couple who sees a Luvdisc are blessed with eternal love." She stared at Serena and raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Serena felt her face flush again, and turned away from Ash and Bonnie. _Why do you have to do this, Bonnie? Now I know the problem that Clemont has to deal with._

Ash didn't seem to notice the implications of what Bonnie said, and simply replied, "That's pretty interesting, Bonnie, but what if the couple was to see a group of Luvdisc? Does the magic multiply or something?"

"You know Ash, I'm not quite sure, the legend didn't specify."

The two continued on while Serena stood in place, her face redder than a ripe tomato. _Bonnie's lucky that Ash is so oblivious, otherwise I'd have to strangle that girl._

Their trip through the aquarium lasted another couple of hours, and they explored every last exhibit they had to offer. They decided to grab some ice cream and sat by the large golden Magikarp statue by the exit. While they ate their treat, they noticed a man and a woman sitting at a desk nearby, obviously frustrated about something. Ash finished his cone and was the first to approach them. He tapped the man on the shoulder and asked, "Hey, I hope you don't mind me asking what's wrong."

The man looked up from his desk, startled by Ash and replied, "Oh, it's nothing. Don't mind us, you've got an aquarium to see."

The woman slapped him on the wrist and said, "Eddie, don't be so mean. Who knows, this trainer might be able to help us."

Ash gave her a confused glance and asked, "Help you with what? I'm happy to help anyone in need."

Eddie sighed, "I guess you're right, Lindsay, we are quite desperate for help. Sorry for being so cold before, Mr…?"

"It's Ash, Ash Ketchum."

"Well Ash, you see my wife Lindsay and I have spent the last half decade attempting to find a sunken ship, the RMS _Cussler_. You know of it?"

They didn't notice Clemont sneaking up behind Ash until he responded, "The _Cussler_, the same one that sunk a hundred years ago?"

Eddie nodded, "That's the one. The actual _Cussler_ has been missing since the day it was sunk by that large iceberg on its maiden voyage to Castelia City. So far, scientists and divers have been unable to find the final resting point of the ship, and everything that the ship had was lost. The only thing that we have from it is the original shipping manifest from the docks it launched from. But we think that we've found it."

"So shouldn't you be on a boat in the middle of the ocean looking for it?" Ash asked.

"No, we found its signature just off the coast of Ambrette town, at least we theorize that its there."

"Then what's the problem, why haven't you gone to check it out?"

Lindsay interjected at this point, "Well our dive crew that was supposed to go with us didn't agree with our idea. They called it crazy, and to be honest it is. How could this massive cruise liner end up here? It doesn't really make sense, but this is the most promising lead that we have been given in a hundred years as to its whereabouts. The dive team thought our plan was crazy, and they would only be paid when we were paid by the museums that wanted our research and photography. So, they backed out. Now all we have is our research boat and a small submarine that would be used to aid the divers in diving to the extreme depth of the ship."

"How deep down is the ship?"

"Umm, from our findings it's about 2000 feet down from the surface, give or take."

Eddie added, "The dive team was prepared for this and brought some pressurized suits to use in order to retrieve the recording logs, but now we don't even have the suits. On top of that, a copy of our data was stolen from us last night. They may be thinking about trying the dive later and taking all the glory of our research for themselves. We're really screwed right now, because we have no ability to beat them to it."

Clemont smirked and said, "Then you obviously haven't seen what science can do. I believe that my friends and I may be able to help you on your journey."

Lindsay clapped her hands in front of your face, "I'm glad that you want to help, but we don't have the suits for the dive. Even if we did, I don't know how much you can help us. Those suits were built by and for professional divers."

"Luckily for you, I've been testing a pair of Atmospheric Diving Suits that I made myself. They're easy to use and work extremely well. I've theoretically tested them for a dive of up to 3000 feet, more than enough for this mission."

Ash smiled and shook his head, "Clemont, you surprise me sometimes with how much random stuff you design and create. When would we ever need a deep diving suit?"

"I dunno. I just thought it'd be cool to make a suit that could dive underwater and be used in space. Good thing I'm finally finding a use for them. What do you say, Lindsay and Eddie?"

Eddie smiled, "You know, I don't see why not. We'll have to run some tests on these suits of yours, just to make sure that they're up to our specifications."

Clemont pulled out a small metal cylinder and handed it to the man, "Here they are, just be careful when releasing them, they do take up some space."

Within a matter of hours, the group had joined Eddie and Lindsay on their research ship, the _Discovery_. While Eddie piloted the ship out to the dive site, Clemont was busy showing the group how his suits worked. After extensive experiments and tests done on the suits by Lindsay, she determined them to be perfect for the job at hand. The suits contained an inner, skin-tight, layer that the user put on first that would regulate heating, airflow, and sensors through the suit. If the suit was ever punctured or ripped, a small computer would find the hole and inflate the suit with a gel-like substance, plugging the hole enough to prevent certain death of the user by rapid depressurization. On top of that was the median layer, which acted as the main component of the suit. It was a lot thicker and of tougher quality than the inner suit, covering the whole body except the head. The final layer, the exo-layer, was a hardened metal casing that wrapped around the entire torso, arms, and legs of the wearer. This layer housed the oxygen reserves, stored along the back of the suit, and integrated the connections for the helmet, and had a small self-propulsion system, so that the wearer could move around in the suit. At the end of each arm was a five-pronged claw, controlled by the movement of the hand inside the suit.

Once Clemont finished going over the suit's specifications, he continued, "Well, now that we're done talking about the suit let's decide who's going to wear them. Neither Eddie nor Lindsay will be able to use the suits, as they are two busy manning the sub and the ship. Bonnie won't be able to use the suit either, because she's too small to fit in properly, which would be extremely dangerous. That leaves Ash, Serena, and I for two suits. Now, we all know that Ash will get a suit no matter what, which leaves Serena and I for the last suit. How do we decide who gets to wear it? With my good old friend probability, that's how. I'm gonna flip a coin, heads means I get the suit, tails means Serena. Are you guys ready?"

Ash sighed, "Ready as we'll ever be Clemont.

Clemont flicked the coin up into the air. It came down and landed on the floor, flipping multiple times before landing on the tails side of the coin. Clemont shrugged and said, "Looks like probability wasn't on my side today. It's settled, fair and square, Serena and Ash will be going down to explore the ship."

Lindsay smiled at the group, "We better get you situated before we do the dive. Are you two ready to test out the suits?"

Ash and Serena nodded in unison. Lindsay handed both of them the skin-tight inner suit, and they retreated to different rooms in order to change. Once they had stuffed themselves into the outfit, Lindsay and Clemont helped them dress in the second and third parts. Before long, both stood up in the massive suits, checking to make sure all of the systems and sensors were working. To start, Lindsay pulled up a radio next to her face and said, "Does the radio work for both of you?"

"It works for me."

"Me too."

"Good. This is gonna be our primary communication method. As we dive, communication might become severed from the ship, due to the structure of the _Cussler_. Your radio should be fine for the dive, but if the pressure causes it to cutout, you also have an onboard speaker to communicate with each other. Now, let's check the air gauge."

"Um…how do we do that?" Ash asked.

"Simple," Clemont replied, "the helmet has a Heads Up Display that displays information depending on where you are looking. The air gauge is on the right, so look that way. Both Ash and Serena diverted their eyes to the right and a small bar appeared on the visor in front of them. Above the bar read, "Remaining Oxygen", and the bar was marked with various ticks associated with their own time. The bars were both full, standing at four hours of air left.

"I see it now, Clemont. I think all's good on my side. What about you, Serena?"  
"I've got a full bar."

Lindsay nodded and continued, "Pressurization and Heartbeat Sensor should be on the left. Check that for me?"

Ash turned his eyes to the left, and once again information popped up on his visor. It had a small electrocardiograph steadily ticking with a small gauge under it. Ash eyed the needle of the gauge as Lindsay continued, "The needle on the gauge should be pointing at or around 1 atmosphere of pressure."

"Everything checks out for me, no leaks or anything."

"I'm good too."

"Great. That should be it for both of you right now. We'll let you out, I need to run a few more diagnostics before the dive. You guys can go to the deck to catch some fresh air and kill time."

* * *

Ash and Serena stood against the railing on the bow of the ship. They both elected to stay in the inner suit, simply because it took a while to put on in the first place. Out on the ocean they could see a flock of Wingull flying very low over the deep blue. Some of them landed in the water, splashing and playing as they watched the boat pass along. Ash looked to either side and watched the massive hulks of Wailmer and Wailord moving silently below the surface. Every once in a while, one or two of them would come to the surface to take a breath, only to sink back down into the depths. Ash smiled at Serena, who gave him a weak smile in response. He stared confusingly at her and asked, "What's wrong, Serena?"

Serena looked backed out at the water and replied, "It's nothing, just some apprehension. I mean, this whole trip is a once in a lifetime thing, but you can't deny the inherent dangers of this dive. What if something goes wrong and one of us gets hurt?"

Ash simply smiled and said, "Serena, don't worry about it. If you feel scared or anything you can give the suit to Clemont, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to dive in your place."

Serena shook her head violently, "No Ash, I want to go down with you. There's nothing that can stop me, I'm just a little nervous that's all."

"It's perfectly fine to be nervous Serena, but that doesn't stop us. Just remember that everyone else will be waiting for us to come up. Eddie, Lindsay, Clemont, Bonnie, Pikachu, Dedenne, and all our pokémon will be there, cheering us on. And if that isn't enough, remember that I'm there right next to you. I won't let anything happen to you down there."

Serena returned Ash's smile, "Thanks a lot, Ash, I feel so much better now. But, I wasn't as worried about something happening to me as I am about something happening to _you_."

"I guess you've got my back too. That's what best friends are for."

From the inside of the ship, Eddie spoke out over the intercom, "Alright, we're coming up on the site. Let's prepare the sub and Clemont's suits for departure."

The two divers made their way to the starboard side of the ship where a decently sized, banana yellow submarine sat in a massive harness on the side of the boat. It had a couple of safety glass ports on the bow for the helmsman to see where they were moving without having to stare at a sonar screen. At either side of the ports were massive floodlights, so that the crew could see out when the sub dove to extreme depths. On the top of the sub was an airlock, where Eddie and Clemont were busy stuffing the two suits in a mount, so they wouldn't move throughout the dive. Lindsay sat on top of the boat with Bonnie, Pikachu, and Dedenne, sharing a small sandwich with the girl and two pokémon. Once Lindsay saw Ash and Serena approaching she shouted out, "Are you two ready to go?"

Ash replied, "Always ready, Lindsay."

"Alright then, let's wait for Clemont and Eddie to finish and then we'll get going."

When the suits were finally stowed in the airlock, everyone except Ash, Serena, and Lindsay jumped off of the sub and back onto the deck of the Discovery. Lindsay opened a hatch on top of the submarine and stepped in, allowing Ash and Serena to say goodbye before closing and securing it.

The interior of the sub was really tight, with only three seats and two separate hatches, one leading outside and the other to the airlock. Ash and Serena sat behind Lindsay, back to back, as the sub began to slowly descend into the water. From their personal portholes, they watched the sub hit the water, floating gently on the surface. The engine roared to life and began to hum loudly. Lindsay pulled up the radio and said, "Eddie can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Lindsay."

"Great, everything is running green for us, what about for you."

"Yep, we're good up here."

"Alright, preparing to dive to nominal depth. Starting dive in 3…2…1... Dive, dive, dive."

The sub lurched as it began to descend below the surface of the ocean. From the portholes, Ash and Serena watched as the waterline rose over their heads, until their vision was entirely taken up by the sea. Lindsay turned back to them and said, "It'll take us a bit to get down to depth, maybe ten minutes. Gives you time to calm your nerves."

Serena stared out into the ocean. With each passing second, the outside world became a darker shade of blue, as more and more water blocked the light from reaching them. She turned on the floodlights to reveal just how many pokémon were swimming alongside the ship. A school of Magikarp swam just outside her window, aimlessly wandering as the ship continued to sink lower and lower. After a short time, Lindsay once again said, "Alright guys, we're coming up on where the ship should be. Are you ready for what could possibly be one of the biggest finds in the last century?"

Both trainers nodded, it wasn't everyday that someone would stumble upon a sunken ship, especially one the size of the _Cussler_. If it wasn't where Lindsay and Eddie theorized, they still couldn't complain, as Eddie and Lindsay were kind enough to give them the ride of a lifetime. They could only sit and wait, and watch the front porthole.

Slowly, a massive shape began to emerge out of the black. As the ship came closer, the lights illuminated more of the shape. It became more and more discernable, until they could clearly see the bow of a ship. The metal around the outside had completely rusted off, and was covered with Binacle and Barbaracle moving up and down the hull. As they looked towards the stern, they saw that the ship was completely cleaved in two, and the back end sat a few hundred feet away, angled away from the rest of the ship. Lindsay's eyes opened widely and she whispered out, "There it is…the _Cussler_." She pulled out the radio once more and said, "Eddie, I'm sending you a live feed. You have to see this."

After a few seconds, Eddie finally replied over the radio, his voice slightly warbled by the interference from the water, "Wow, it looks amazing. We did it, Lindsay, we finally found it after all this time. Do you know what this means?"

"We're set for life. Oh wow, it's so beautiful."

"That's awesome. Now let's go in and explore the interior."

"Roger. Ash, Serena, you guys ready to go out?"

Ash hollered and jumped up out of his seat, about to speak when he banged his head on the sloped ceiling of the sub. He slunk back into his seat, rubbing his throbbing head and weakly said, "I might have got a little excited…Ow."

Serena giggled, "Yeah, I think Ash is ready."

Lindsay nodded, "Let me get you guys close to the bridge. There you should find a small metal box. This will have all the shipping manifests, captain's logs, crew lists, and guest lists all completely sealed tight and protected from the ocean. These documents are really important, and it's the first thing we look for when searching a new wreck. Clemont and I installed a magnet strip on the back of each of your suits, so use that to carry the box and any metallic items of value or interest, but be careful what you touch, parts of the ship may be unstable, and we want to preserve the site as much as possible. One other thing, both of you will be recording video of the inside, so look around as much as possible to soak in all of the sights, no pun intended."

Once they were finished being briefed by Lindsay, all three went to the airlock to help Ash and Serena into their respective diving suits. It took them a while to suit up in the tight space, and Lindsay retreated back down into the sub once she was sure that their suits were watertight. From the radio speaker in their helmet, Lindsay spoke, "Alright you two, I'm flooding the airlock. From this point on, there no taking off of the suit until you're back on the sub."

Ash looked down at his feet and seawater began to seep up from under his feet. The water rose faster and faster, reaching up to his waist in a matter of seconds. He looked to Serena and joked, "Is it too late to back out now?"

Serena chuckled and replied, "Only if you want to swim back up."

The water slowly rose, reaching the bottom of the helmet's visor. Ash watched as the water level rose higher, until he and Serena were both completely submerged. Once the water had filled the room completely, Lindsay came through the radio once more, "Opening the airlock doors."

In front of them, the blast doors sealing the airlock screeched open, leading out into the wide ocean. Ash and Serena toggled their lights and stepped out slowly. The length of the sub gave them a small platform to stand on as they stared out into the abyss. The sub's lights were trained on the ship, but every other direction was completely dark. Serena felt a chill run down her spine, who knew what was lurking in the depths of the ocean? She looked at Ash who bore an expression of wonder and bewilderment. He said, "Well, Serena, are you ready?"

Serena nodded in her helmet and took a deep breath before replying, "Let's do this Ash."

They activated the personal-propulsion systems on each of their suits, and they glided towards the sunken ship. The massive hulk grew larger and larger, and Ash could make out a few letters painted on the side of the ship. While most of it was scratched off or covered up, it obviously made up the letters in "Cussler". They made their way around to the back of the front half, and landed on what would be the port deck. They slowly made their way into the ship through one of the doors. As they entered the door, they were immediately greeted with a pitch-black void, Ash flipped a switch in his right glove to flip on the lights on either side of his helmet. Serena quickly did the same, and shed light on the hallway that appeared in front of them. The tight corridor was rather eerie, as it was malformed and rusted over. It obviously had been luxurious at one point, but years of being underwater made its toll, completely decaying the ship down to a skeleton of what it once was.

"C'mon, Serena, let's see if we can find the bridge to get those manifests."

"Yeah…"

Ash noticed the hesitation in her voice. He could see how obviously scared she was to go in this ship, at least what was left of it. He couldn't really blame her though, who knew what they would find in the bowels of this undersea relic. He gave her a small knowing smile and said, "Don't worry, Serena. If you need to, you can go back. Nobody is making you come in the ship."

Serena shook her head, "No, Ash, I'm going with you. You need my help, no matter how terrifying it may be."

"Well, if you need to hang close to me, feel free."

Serena smiled back. Hearing Ash say that to her gave her enough confidence to go through with it, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't try and stay as close to him as possible, for support.

The two slowly stepped through the claustrophobic corridor into a massive central ballroom. The hall was possibly fifty feet tall, and connected to a set of grandiose stairs leading to the doorways of the upper deck. Along the two top floors were massive lines of banisters allowing people to spectate the goings on the massive hardwood floor. Serena walked out to the center of the hall and turned back to Ash, saying, "Wow Ash, this is magnificent. Imagine how romantic it would be, to dance with a date on board a luxury cruise liner like this? Oh man, I could see it now. I'd be wearing a beautiful red gown while y…my date… would be wearing the most fanciful of tuxedos, with a little black bowtie around _his_ neck and white cotton gloves on _his_ hands. _He_ and I would move onto the floor, all eyes on us, as we stared into each other's eyes and danced through the night." Serena did what was as close to a twirl as she could get, and giggled loudly through her microphone.

Ash laughed at her failed twirl and said, "Serena, you really have a crazy imagination don't you? What does this date of yours look like?"

Serena stared at Ash directly in the face as she slowly fell into a trance, "Well, he'd be rather tall, with a tanned skin tone. He doesn't like to keep his dark hair neat, so it would completely contrast with the nice clothes he was wearing. He has an awesome sense of humor, and always is there for his friends, though he may not be the politest person on the planet. What I really like most about him would be his amazing facial features. The way he smiles melts my heart, and his brown eyes flicker every time he laughs or looks at me. He'd like me for just being me, and he would, in turn, be madly in love with me, even though he may not be the most romantic man on the planet. Oh man, he's the perfect man for me, even with every one of his imperfections."

Ash laughed once again as Serena blushed furiously, "Wow, Serena. You should really write a book about this guy. Your description of him makes it sounds like you've already met. C'mon, I think we're getting close to the bridge."

As Ash began to make his way up to the upper floors, Serena muttered to herself, "He is real, Ash. He's just really hard to get. I mean seriously, I practically served my feelings to him on a silver platter."

"Serena? You coming?"

"Yeah, I'm coming!"

* * *

After a small amount of searching, they finally found the bridge of the ship. It was full of small instruments and decayed chairs where the crew sat to control and to navigate the massive cruise liner. All of the windows that lined the front wall were blown out, likely from the massive pressure of the water as the ship sunk, and all of the control panels were either caved in or strewn about the room. Ash turned to Serena and said, "We've got to find that safe with the manifests, help me look around."

They combed through the room, sifting through cabinets to try and find what they were looking for. For five minutes they searched, to no avail, until Ash finally looked in one of the spare cubbies off to the side. Inside was a small, rectangular, metal box with a lock on it. It was sealed tightly, and slotted perfectly, so it wouldn't budge in case of drastic events, like the ship sinking. Ash used one of his claws to pull the box out, and it easily slid right out. "Serena, do you think this is what we need?"

Serena walked over to Ash and said, "Most likely, it's the only thing we could find that fits Lindsay's description."

"Well then, mission complete."

Ash stashed the box on his back as the two made it out of the ship and back to the sub. Once they reached the airlock, Lindsay hailed them over the radio, "Hey guys, did you get the manifests?"

"Yeah, where do you want it?"

"Just stash it in the airlock, there's something else I want you guys to check out. I found this weird signal that keeps showing up on the back half of the ship, and I'm curious as to what it is."

"You've got it, we've got three hours of air left, so why not use some more of it?"

"Exactly. Thanks Ash, Serena, I'm sure you guys got the shot of a lifetime."

Ash placed the safe in his possession against the back wall of the airlock, and the two made their way to the half of the ship they hadn't explored yet. Once they came close to the ship again, a large amount of static began to feed through the radio. Ash hailed Lindsay and asked, "Lindsay, Lindsay can you hear me? Serena and I seem to be getting some weird interference."

"Might… ship…just keep going…I doubt…anything."

Ash turned to Serena and said, "I have no idea what she said, you?"

"Dunno. She may believe it's the ship doing it, and we should just keep going."

"I don't know, we didn't have that problem before with the front half."

"This half is just farther away I guess, or there may be some interference."

Ash shrugged, "It's probably from the weird signal, let's check it out."

They entered the rear of the ship through the place where it split off from the front half. Serena looked around at the nearby rocks and pieces of hull that were split off from the ship, jutting out from the ocean floor. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was hiding, watching them from the blackness. She voiced out her concern to Ash, "Ash I don't know about this. Something definitely doesn't seem right around here."

"Why do you say that?"

"I think something's around, watching us."

"It's most likely a pokémon, they're no doubt using this half as their home."

Serena did a second take and said, "You're probably right, but it still doesn't seem right."

Many of the hallways were almost identical to the front half, and they snaked through, searching for the cause of the strange transmission. Serena looked behind her as they took a right, and saw a black figure zoom past her field of view. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she turned back to Ash and said, "Hey Ash, we're not alone here."

"I know, look."

Serena turned around to see what had spooked Ash, and spotted two blinding lights pointed directly at them, connected to a black diving suit. The suit lifted a hand to shield from Ash and Serena's own lights. Through its speakers, a deep, crackly voice said, "Well, who do we have here?"

* * *

Lindsay stared at the sonar screen. For some reason, she couldn't quite make out what exactly the signal was. She fiddled with a few dials and tried to sharpen the image on the screen. Over the course of a few minutes, the image began to take ship until it was almost readable. To an untrained eye, the form looked almost like a Wailord from above, but Lindsay knew that was wrong. Wailord barely dove to this depth, it was most definitely something that was meant to look like one. But what looked like a large water pokémon? Lindsay's eyes grew wide as she immediately recognized her mistake and shouted out in her radio, "Ash, Serena? Can you hear me? Get back here now, there's another sub out there. I don't like this one bit. If you can hear me you have to leave now!"

* * *

"Who are you?" Ash asked. How was there someone down her besides them? Eddie and Lindsay didn't tell them about any other people that were diving nearby. He was immediately suspicious of this man in the black suit. In the visor, Ash could see the man's face. He had rather chisled features, and a thin, dark-brown goatee circled his chin and lips, stuck in a sinister smile. He had gelled brown hair, attempting to make its way out of the top of his helmet, only to be slicked backward by the hardened metal.

He looked inquisitively at Ash and Serena before respoding, "You do realize that I asked first right? The respect that youth have for their elders these days is outstanding."

"Urgh. The name's Ash Ketchum, I'm a pokémon trainer."

"And what about you, girl? What's your name?"

"Se…Serena."

"Well, well, well, Ash and Serena. You two really do make a lovely couple, but don't you think having a date on a sunken ship is a little… odd? I mean, I' expect a couple of teenagers like you to try diving into a far different place, if you know what I mean?" The man chuckled lightly at his little joke and crossed his arms at chest length.

"We're not dating. We're here on an expedition."

"An expedition you say? Well that's just weird, because so am I. But I'm not here to explore some stupid ship, I'm here to make me some money. The name's Draven, I'm what many call a treasure hunter, and many more call a thief. I guess I'm a little of both, right?"

"You're making no sense."

"Allow me to give you a little history lesson then. You see, this ship, the _Cussler_, was on it's maiden voyage, but it had a little something special in its cargo. A mobster in Castelia City, one of the more successful ones, had acquired quite a large portion of diamonds smuggled from different regions around the world. What better way to get his wealth to Castelia than to put it on the _Cussler_, which was being captained by one of his close friends. He would give the man his cut, and then go on living his life like a king, except there was one…major hiccup."

"The ship sank."

"The ship sank! Exactly! Well, this boss quickly forgot about his loot, as there was no way of retrieving it from the depths of the ocean. Fast-forward to now, where your two researcher friends just happened to stumble upon a veritable gold mine… a huge box of perfectly cut diamonds. So I stole a copy of their data when they weren't looking and persuaded their own team to help me retrieve the treasure. Little do they know that none of them will be getting any of their cut due to unforeseen…issues."

"You're a terrible man, Draven. Why would you do this?"

"To be set for life, obviously. Thievery is what I do. This entire expedition went without a hitch. Your friends wouldn't dive down without a crew, and I keep the money for myself while making their old team's death to be an accident while attempting the dive. Well it went off without a hitch, until you came along."

"You know you can't get away with this."

"Hahaha! Boy, I already did. Why do you think I'm telling you this? Sharpedo, use Crunch."

Out of the shadows, a black figure sped towards Ash. He managed to turn in time to see the pokémon before it rammed him against the wall, completely wrapping its jaws around his chest. Ash struggled to get out, but the Brutal Pokémon continued to clamp its jaws, crushing the aluminum plates of his suit. Ash felt the malformed metal jab into his sides and yelled out in pain as the sharp edge cut deep into his skin. Luckily, his suit wasn't penetrated, but he felt the warm blood slowly flowing from the wounds. He cried out once more as the pokémon tightened its grip.

Draven cackled loudly and said to Serena, "Just because I think you're very pretty, Serena, I'm gonna let you go. That or you can stay here and die just like your little Ashy boy. I heard dying with the person you love is romantic or something…Anyway, I'm gonna get my treasure and be on my way, and we'll never speak again. Goodbye to both of you." Draven began to walk away, but turned back and said, "Oh Ash, don't look so crushed over this, I know you wanted me to stay and talk a bit longer, but Sharpedo seems pretty happy with giving you a little kiss. Sharpedo, if the girl stays, kill her too, then come back to the ship, we've got more business to attend to."

Draven waved at the two and said, "Draven's making his exit. It was nice knowing you," before treading further into the ship.

Ash grit his teeth together and tried to push away from the Sharpedo, but its grip just kept getting tighter against his body. He looked at Serena and shouted, "Serena. AUGH! You have to leave, save yourself."

Serena began to cry, "No, Ash! I'm gonna help you, I promise."

"Just go!"

Serena shook her head and looked around for something to use against Ash's assailant. The search came up empty, until she spotted just the perfect object. On the ceiling was a pipeline, most likely used to transport fresh water on the ship. The pipe was cut in one spot, creating a sharp point for Serena to use. A foot down, the pipe was extremely rusted, to the point where Serena could dislodge the section if she tugged hard enough. She grabbed it with the right claw on her suit, and the segment ripped free from the rest of the line.

Draven's Sharpedo saw what she was doing and released Ash. This girl was much more dangerous to it than the boy, and it silently stared her down before charging at great speed. Serena thrust the pipe forward, stabbing the pokémon with the sharpened point. It cried out in pain as a cloud of red formed in the water, but came back for another attack. Serena lunged again, this time piercing the pokémon through the bottom of its mouth. It attempted to clamp its jaws on her, but the metal pole in its mouth prevented it from crushing. With each attempt, it drove the pole further into its mouth, before it finally swam away in excruciating pain.

Ash watched Serena fight off the beast and smiled. He felt his eyelids grow heavy as she approached him and spoke in a concerned tone, "Ash? Ash, please stay awake. I'm gonna get you back to the ship as soon as possible. You're gonna be alright."

"Serena…I've lost a lot of blood."

"I know Ash, but just stay with me. You can't die on me!"  
He felt her lifting him up gingerly, but the act of even trying to stand made the metal stick farther into his body. The world seemed to speed up, as he drifted in and out of consciousness. At first he was on the Cussler and then he was laying face down in the sub, his body completely covered in his own blood. He saw Serena staring at him, her eyes shining as she attempted to hold back tears. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful, even in this state. Her face was the last thing he saw before he drifted to sleep.

* * *

Ash jolted awake to the sound of a continually beeping electrocardiogram. He looked around to see that he was in a hospital bedroom, and he wasn't alone. Sitting at the foot of his bed was Pikachu, curled up in a ball and quietly snoring. On his right, Serena rested her head against the side of his bed, using her own arms as a pillow. Ash felt the urge to place his hands on top of her head, and he combed his fingers through her honey blonde hair. She stirred a bit, and gently opened her eyes, lifting up her head to look at Ash. Ash gave her a weak smile and groggily said, "Serena, I'm glad to see you."

Serena returned the smile and said, "Ash, you're awake."

"You…you saved me?"

At this point, Serena couldn't hold back. Tears began to stream from her sapphire eyes and she said, "I thought you were going to die. When you fainted on the boat…I've never seen so much blood before."

Ash chuckled lightly, "It takes a lot more than that to take me down. Clemont's suit worked wonders."

"Ash…I don't…"

Ash interrupted her by rubbing the tears off of her face with his thumb. Her skin felt so soft, and the touch electrified his body, a feeling that he had never received before. It was rather pleasant, much like the small shocks Pikachu would give him when they hugged. But, it was a different feeling with Serena, something he couldn't explain. His thumb lingered for a second, until Serena grabbed his hand with both of hers. They were so warm, so soft. He didn't want her to release his hand when she did, and felt his heart sink as she began to hoist herself out of the chair next to his bed. When she had stood up fully, Serena smiled at him again and said, "I'm gonna get some food, you just get some rest. I'll be back in a bit"

As she walked away and opened the door, Ash stopped her by asking, "Serena, I hope you don't mind me asking, why did you do what you did?"

"What do you mean, Ash?"

"Why did you save me? If you didn't find something to use, you could have been killed."

"Well, I'll answer that with a question myself. Why did you jump off of Prism Tower to save Pikachu and Garchomp when you would most certainly die?"

"I…"

"You have the answer, there's no reason to tell me."

"Serena…"

"You should get some sleep Ash, I'll be back later. Oh, and welcome to Cyllage City."

Serena closed the door, leaving Ash alone with the sleeping Pikachu. Ash reached over, groaning as he felt pain soar through his sides. He tapped Pikachu, who woke up to see his recovering trainer looking at him. Pikachu walked up the bed towards Ash. Once he came close, Pikachu licked Ash's face and curled up against his body tightly before immediately falling back to sleep against his chest. Ash smiled at his partner and wrapped his arms around the pokémon, attempting to join Pikachu in his slumber. He couldn't fall asleep for a while though, as Serena's words to him echoed in his mind.

_I jumped after Pikachu because….because he's my best friend, and I couldn't imagine life without him. I'd give my life for him in a heartbeat. Is that what Serena meant?_

He shrugged it off and slumped down in his bed. It was so comfortable, way more comfortable than one of the guest beds in the Pokémon Center. Ash felt his sides sting a little as he repositioned his body, but it was nothing that he couldn't handle. He fluffed his pillow and dug his head into the soft down, allowing the warm embrace of sleep to take him once more.

* * *

**Well, how did you like the chapter? I spent a lot of time honing just what I wanted this chapter to be, even going so far as to use the name Draven. It has a lot of different meanings, depending on who you are or where you are from, my favorite was "From the dark waters" or "The Hunter", something to show just how sinister I wanted him to be. Don't worry, it's not the last you'll see of him.**

**Anyway, Thank you for reading, coming up next is the gym battle with Grant. Don't forget to vote for the pokémon that you want to see caught next-ish in the poll on my profile.**


	9. Chapter 9: Climbing the Walls

**Hello again everyone!**

**It's been so long (month and a half?) but I'm finally back. I've had so many vacations (well...graduations) to go to, and I wanted to finish this chapter last month, so that you guys would have something new from me while I took a small hiatus. Unfortunately, my computer crashed and I couldn't finish the chapter like I had predicted, because I had to put a slew of new parts in my computer to get it to work again. But now we're good to go, and it's great to be back.**

**On another note, I have decided to extend the poll (Which 'mon you wanna see caught soon in this story) for one more chapter. The standings as they are at the moment are:**

**1st: Honedge (Ash) with 7 votes**

**2nd: Eevee (Serena) with 6 votes**

**3rd: Noibat (Ash) with 5 votes**

**4th: Pikachu (Serena) with 2 votes**

**And the rest of them**

**Vote for your favorite if you haven't yet.**

**Now let's do this, here's Chapter 9: Climbing the Walls**

* * *

Ash startled awake as the door to his hospital room squeaked open. Pikachu stirred slightly in his arms and looked up to see who was coming through the door. Ash subconsciously hoped that it was Serena who was entering the room, but it turned out to be a tall, older woman wearing blue medical scrubs. Her dark brown hair, sprinkled with strands of gray, was tied up in a bun behind her head, and she gave Ash a warm smile as she approached the bed. "Sorry to wake you, Mr. Ketchum," she apologized as she pulled up a clipboard and clicked a pen.

"It's quite alright. I was expecting…"

"You were expecting your friend Serena. She's waiting outside with your other companions until I'm finished here. She's been here almost as long as you have, you know. You two must be great friends."

"Yeah. Yeah we are."

"Well I won't take much time. My name is Dr. Werner, I'll be around every once in a while to take physical tests, just so that we can gauge how much time you'll be stuck in this bed. Normally we wouldn't do this so soon, but your healing has been rather rapid. Now, let's get these done with quick so that you've got some good time to speak with your visitors."

Pikachu jumped off of Ash and onto a nearby chair as Dr. Werner checked Ash's healing wounds and helped him up out of bed. For the next ten minutes, Ash was put through a set of rigorous stretching and walking back and forth in the room. His body was extremely sore, but he still was able to do everything with minimal pain. Once they were finished, Dr. Werner helped him back into the bed. As Ash laid back against the pillow, he asked, "So Dr. Werner?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"You said before that my healing was rapid. What exactly does that mean?"

"Just that. For some strange reason, your body has healed itself so much faster than is humanly possible. The fact that you are alive and consciously walking is a miracle to modern science. We've done dozens of tests while you were unconscious, but we found no evidence as to what it was."

"That's strange. How long have I been here?"

"Three days. These kinds of wounds would kill a normal man, or at least keep them bedridden for weeks. It's almost like some other force was helping you along the way."

"So what did you find out from these tests today?"

"It's exactly as we anticipated. We'll keep you for the rest of the night, then you're free to go. Just go easy on yourself for a couple days, until the wounds completely heal. I'll send your friends in immediately, no doubt they want to see you."

The door slammed wide open again as Bonnie sprinted into the room and stopped right next to Ash's bed, beaming widely as her mouth began to race, "Ash, you're alright! We were all so worried about you. Clemont wouldn't let me see you once Lindsay and Serena got you to the surface, and the helicopter came soon after to take you away. Oh man, we've been waiting here for so long…"

"Bonnie, give Ash some space. He only just woke up," Clemont said as he stepped through the door.

Ash smiled at the brother and sister, "I'm so happy that you guys are here."

Clemont approached the bed, "We're happy that you're alright. All of us have been here since the incident. Both Bonnie and I are staying in the Pokémon Center, but Serena's been with you in the hospital since the very beginning."

Eddie walked through the door alongside Lindsay and added, "He's right you know, Ash. Serena was livid when the paramedics wouldn't let her ride in the helicopter, and she snapped when I wasn't driving the boat fast enough. I'll tell you what, that girl has some serious fangs on her. It's like watching a mother Ursaring protect her cubs."

Ash could only laugh as someone else entered through the door. The blushing, blonde teen joined the other people surrounding Ash's bed, her hands clutched together on the front of her skirt. Ash could see that her clothes were wrinkled and dark circles hung under her slightly bloodshot eyes. Her hair was frizzy and unkempt, and her hat wasn't quite centered on her head. It was obvious that she barely had any sleep in the past few days, most likely because she was worrying too much about him. She gave Ash an embarrassed smile and said, "They're exaggerating, Ash. It was much less than you think."

Lindsay chuckled, "No we're not, Ash. If you're in trouble, this girl is the stuff of nightmares."

The blush on Serena's face only heightened in intensity as she tried to cover her face with her hands. Ash smiled at her and said, "I guess I'm just lucky that I have such a friend."

"Yeah...She definitely wants to be a friend, Ash," Bonnie muttered sarcastically to herself.

Dr. Werner peered into the room again and said, "Sorry to interrupt. Mr. Ketchum, there's someone else who wants to talk to you, and let me just say that she is not happy with you."

Ash scratched the side of his head, "Who is it?"

* * *

"Ash Ketchum, why did you do this to me? Why do you always have to put yourself in serious danger everywhere you go? What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, Mom."

Ash's room was empty except for him and Pikachu. The nurses had rolled a video phone into the room so that Ash didn't have to move in order to receive Delia Ketchum's call. Now he wish that he hadn't, he could see just how distraught she was. Much like Serena, her appearance was much more rough than normal. Though she tried to sound angry at Ash, he could tell that she was actually overjoyed to hear from him. Her cheeks had shining streaks running down them, and her eyes were still quite watery, obviously she had been crying rather recently. Delia managed to flash a smile and said, "I'm just so glad that you're alright. After I heard that you were in the hospital, I wanted to rush to Kalos to help you, but that doctor of yours said everything was under control. So all I could do was sit idly for three days, knowing full well that my son, my world, laid unconscious in a hospital bedroom."

"I'm sorry for making you worry about me all the time."

"It seems that no matter where you go, danger follows close, and you never tell me what's going on. You've been in Kalos for about a month now, and you have yet to call me."

Ash scratched his cheek, "Hehe, I'm sorry. I got caught up in training and traveling, I never thought about it."

"Well you better keep me more informed, mister. You could at least call once a week, just so I know you're alright. I don't want to hear about your well-being from a hospital doctor. But I don't want to talk about this, about something so depressing. So let's change the topic. How's your journey going in Kalos?"

Ash was surprised at the change of his mother's demeanor. He was quiet for a few moments, and replied, "It's going well so far. I've only got the one badge, but I'm here in Cyllage City for my second one."

"Have you caught any new Pokémon recently?"

"Yes, two of them. I also brought Gible along, back from home. He and I are helping Professor Sycamore with his research in Mega Evolution. Gible has a long way to go in order to become a Garchomp, but I believe in him."

"That's great, Ash. Are you traveling alone?"

"No I'm not. I'm traveling with three others. The first two are the Lumiose gym leader, Clemont, and his sister Bonnie."

"And who's the third one?"

"Well, they're someone that you already know."

"Who? Is it one of your friends from Unova?"

"Think farther back."

"May or her brother?"

"Farther."

Delia thought hard for a moment and then sighed, "It can't be Brock, Misty, nor Tracey. So who is it?"

"Remember when I went to Professor Oak's Summer Camp all those years ago?"

Delia's eyes opened widely as she said, "It can't be. Is it Serena? Serena Gabena?"

Ash nodded, "The one and only."

His mother squealed like a young girl and pleaded, "Oh please, Ash, bring her in. I want to speak with her after all these years."

"Alright, Mom, I'll bring her in," Ash said as he struggled to get out of bed. Pikachu jumped on his chest in order to push him back down and pointed to the door. Ash laid back down and asked, "You want to go out and tell her?"

"Pika," Pikachu replied as he nodded his head.

"Fine. Go get her real quick."

Pikachu jumped back off of Ash and squeezed through the slightly cracked door. A few moments later, the door swung open and Serena entered, Pikachu perched on her shoulder. As she came into view of the video phone, she said, "Hello, Mrs. Ketchum."

"Oh please, Serena, call me Delia," Ash's mother said with a smile.

"Alright...Delia."

Delia looked at the girl, her amber eyes moving up and down as she took in all of Serena's features, "My my, you're so beautiful, Serena. The last time I saw you, you were only eight years old. Oh how I remember when you and Ash had to separate after the camp. He was crying for days after you left, and he barely ate a thing."

Serena giggled, "That doesn't sound like Ash at all."

Ash covered his face in embarrassment, "Mom!"

"Oh, Ash, you know that it's a mother's job to poke fun at her children. Now, Serena, you have to tell me everything..."

* * *

"I really shouldn't have let you speak to her."

"Oh c'mon, Ash. You're acting like she tortured you or something."

"She might as well have. My mom loves to embarass me any chance she gets."

"Was it true though, what she said about you crying after I left?" Serena stared earnestly into Ash's eyes.

Her look knocked the wind out of him, and he felt a strange feeling in his stomach. Ash could only respond with, "Uh...umm."

"C'mon, Ash, tell me the truth."

Ash was saved by the opening of the bedroom door. Lindsay and Eddie stepped in, closely followed by Clemont and Bonnie. Lindsay said, "We've got it guys."

Eager to change the subject, Ash asked, "Got what?"

From his pocket, Eddie pulled out a small disc, "This. This is the footage from our dive, from both of your mounted helmet cams."

"When does the footage end?"

"The second you pull off your suits, after the accident."

Serena looked back at Ash, "Do you really want to watch it, Ash?"

"I have to. If we can find Draven and his team…"

Lindsay interrupted him, "Ash, authorities already found Draven's team."

"What? Where are they?"

There was a brief moment of silence until Eddie replied, "They're in the morgue. Found floating in the ocean a couple days ago. All of their bodies were ripped and torn, like they were attacked."

"Attacked by a Sharpedo."

"Yes."

A long silence hung in the room, until Ash said, "Well we have to see the footage. Not only for me, but for your expedition. Injuries or not, this was one of the biggest finds in history, it wouldn't be fair to you guys if we didn't watch it."

Eddie nodded and inserted the disc into a player next to the television in the corner. Clemont turned to Bonnie and asked, "Bonnie, do you really want to see all of this?"

"Of course, Clemont! I'm not a baby, I can handle myself."

"Well, I just don't want you getting nightmares, that's all."

"Trust me, I'll be fine."

Lindsay turned off the lights in the room. It was getting late, and the only light illuminating the room was that from the TV screen and the light through the window of the door into the hospital hallway. They all watched the screen as the video feed of the dive started. The video was eerily silent, as neither Ash nor Serena had a microphone fitted in their suit. After a couple of hours of watching and rewinding the footage so that Eddie and Lindsay could marvel at the different sights in the sunken ship, it was finally time to watch the search of the aft section. Ash stirred in his bed and felt a hand rest gently on his own. Ash turned to see Serena staring directly at him. Her gaze calmed him down, and he said to Eddie, "Keep playing the tape."

They continued to watch as Ash and Serena made their way down a narrow hallway, until they came face to face with a man clad in a dark, pressurized dive suit. Where his face should have been was a sheath of white light. Eddie cursed under his breath and said, "That smart bastard, he installed an infrared lamp in his helmet to prevent cameras from seeing his face. There's no way that we can identify him without his facial features."

On the screen, Ash continued to stare at Draven for another couple of minutes, due to the short conversation that nobody could hear, until a figure appeared from the dark and slammed into him. The feed from Ash's camera thrashed back and forth as the Sharpedo continued its brutal assault. Ash's right hand drifted toward the wounds on his side, and he felt Serena's grip on his left hand tighten. He turned to her and saw her lips tighten as tears began to form in her eyes. He leaned closer to her and whispered, "Serena, I'm okay."

She nodded and wiped the tears away with her free hand.

Eddie rewound the video and switched to Serena's viewpoint at the time of the attack. It was quick, but brutal, and Ash saw the raw power with which the Sharpedo struck him. If he wasn't wearing the suit, there was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't be here today. He looked to Bonnie, who had covered her eyes and leaned face first into her brother, unable to watch her friend struggling against the murderous pokémon.

Eddie turned off the TV and flipped the lights back on, turning to speak, "We should get going. We have to get copies of this feed to the museums and to the police. The copy in the player is yours to keep, Ash. Thank you all for your help."

Lindsay added, "Yes, thank you. Without you guys we would be nothing, but we didn't expect that we would have put you into so much danger. For that, we are sorry."

Ash shook his head, "You have no reason to be sorry. There was no way that we could have known what we would find. I'm just glad that we could help."

"Thank you Ash. Goodbye."

With that, Eddie and Lindsay were gone, leaving the original traveling companions sitting in the room in silence until Ash said, "We're going to the gym tomorrow to get my badge."

Serena tried to protest, "But, Ash, you're getting out of the hospital tomorrow. You need to rest."

"I'm fine right now, Serena. I can't stop working until I achieve my dream. For every step backward, I need to take two steps forward. So we're going to the gym tomorrow."

Clemont stood up and sighed, "Then Bonnie and I should get going. We'll bring your Pokémon here tomorrow morning. No doubt you want to see them."

Ash nodded, "Thank you, Clemont."

As the siblings left, Ash turned to Serena and asked, "Why aren't you going with them, Serena? I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."

Serena shook her head, "No, Ash. I'm here for you until you get out of the hospital, because that's what friends are for."

"Alright, but I'd prefer if you slept in a nice, warm bed."

"Honestly, Ash, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

* * *

It was the middle of the night. Ash sat in his bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. A thousand different thoughts squeezed their way through his head. He wasn't tired, he'd been asleep for the past three day. The only thing that he could do was think. Ash looked to his left to see Serena resting on a chair next to his bed. Even in the dark he could see the features of her face, framed by the position of her flowing, golden hair. She was...beautiful.

_Whoa, Ash, hold on there. What did you just say?_

Ash stopped for a moment, still staring at Serena. What was he saying? Serena was his friend, right? So why was he thinking these odd things about her? He had to get his mind off of it in the only way he knew how right now.

Ash grabbed the TV remote off of the counter and flipped the set on. The disk containing the dive footage was still in the player, exactly what he was looking for. He pressed play, and sat in silence. He watched the infamous scene over and over again, from both perspectives. Each time he looped it, he felt the same feeling deep in his gut, crippling fear. He had never known another time in his life where he was this afraid. He was helpless during the attack, he couldn't stop it from coming. Ash put a hand on his wound. Dr. Werner said before that there would be no physical scarring. That didn't mean there wouldn't be some sort of scar though.

Draven was still out there, and there was nothing Ash could do to stop him. Ash knew, that he wasn't done with Draven, and that one day they would meet again. But what happens then? Ash felt a shiver snake up his spine and he slid deeper under the sheets of his bed. He turned off the TV, and the room turned dark once more. He shifted to his side and closed his eyes. After all, he still had a gym battle tomorrow, and he needed to be rested for it. No matter what, he would give it his all, and so would his pokémon. He looked at Pikachu, curled up on the right side of his bed, and shifted his body to get more comfortable. After tomorrow, he would be one step closer to the Kalos league, and all of the events of late would be left behind, for now at least.

* * *

Ash and Serena woke up early the next morning to prepare for the long day ahead. Ash was happy to get out of the hospital gown and back into his traveling clothes. He slipped his red cap back onto his head and straightened the brim. Pikachu jumped up onto his shoulder and rubbed up against Ash's head.

Serena smiled at the two and said, "You're good as new."

"Hehe, yeah. It's still a bit sore, but I'll be fine."

"Well I hope you're ready. Clemont and Bonnie should be waiting in the lobby with your pokémon."

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting. Let's go."

The lobby of the hospital was bustling with people moving about their daily business. Bonnie and Clemont were sitting by the front desk, and they stood up immediately to greet Ash, Serena, and Pikachu as they approached. Clemont pulled out three Poké balls from his pocket and placed them in Ash's hand. "Don't worry, Ash, we've taken great care of them while you were here," Clemont said.

"Thanks a lot, Clemont," Ash replied. He activated the balls and released the three Pokémon inside. Each of them jumped up at their trainer to greet him. Froakie and Fletchling each took one of Ash's arms, whereas Gible jumped onto Ash's head jaws first.

Ash set down his Pokémon on the ground and said, "I hope you guys are all ready, because today we're fighting Grant, and we're gonna get our second gym badge. Pikachu, I'm gonna leave you out of this battle today. You're my most battle-tested Pokémon, and I know how you fight under pressure. Fletchling, Froakie, this is gonna be your first real gym battle. I know that both of you can do this, just listen to me and you'll be alright. Grant is a specialist with rock type Pokémon, so they're gonna be real tough to take down. Just use your speed and you'll be alright. Are you guys prepared to win?"

He had a trio of acknowledgments before he recalled all of his Pokémon into their individual Poké balls and latched them onto his belt. He turned to his other friends and said, "Let's go get that badge."

Serena smiled, "We're right behind you, Ash."

They stepped out into the warm, early morning sun. The Center sat on a bluff overlooking the coast. The rays of the sun coming from the east glittered off of the waves. A sailboat drifted across the ocean, its wake little more than a short column of undulating water behind it. People, young and old alike, walked up and down the seaside boardwalk, browsing the shops along the beach. Behind the center was the rest of the city, built directly under the shadow of the mountain to the east. Ash looked around the city and said to his companions, "So where do you think the gym is?"

Clemont shrugged, "That's a good question. What do you think, Serena?"

"Hmm. Maybe we should find a map?"

Bonnie interjected, "We don't need it."

"What do you mean?" Clemont asked his younger sister.

"We know that Grant loves to climb as much as he loves to battle pokémon. where do you think a rock type gym leader who loves to climb would keep his gym."

"I don't know."

Bonnie pointed at the mountain, "There of course."

Ash pat the girl on the head, "Great thinking, Bonnie. C'mon guys, let's go get me that badge." He began to run off towards the mountain, closely followed by a giggling Bonnie.

"Ash, wait up. Dr. Werner said to take it easy!" Serena yelled as she ran after Ash and Bonnie.

"Oh c'mon guys, why do we always have to run everywhere?" Clemont asked as he bumbled along.

* * *

The entrance to the gym was little more than a giant cave tunnelling into the top of the mountain. Above the entrance was the Pokémon League symbol, carved into the rock. A man sat outside the entrance and said to the group as they arrived, "Welcome to the Cyllage Gym, please come in. I'm sure Grant is waiting for you."

"Thanks," Ash replied as he walked through the doorway and into the dimly lit tunnel.

After a short walk, they came to a massive, hollowed out room towards the summit of the mountain. In the center of the room sat a massive pyramid with a flat top. The sides of the pyramid were pocked with multicolored footholds and handholds. Grant was about halfway up, hanging on the side closest to the entrance. Ash shouted out to him, "Hey Grant! I'm here for my gym battle."

Grant turned around to see Ash and his friends coming and said, "I'm glad you finally came. If you want your battle, it's up at the top."

Serena gasped, "You mean we have to climb up?"

"Of course not. I have an elevator around the back. I'm not going to deny a challenger if they don't want to climb."

Serena turned to Ash, "You don't have to climb it, Ash. Remember what Dr. Werner said? You have to take it easy, at least for a couple days."

Ash shook his head, "No, Serena, Grant has the climbing wall here for a reason. If I'm gonna be the best, I can't let a single wall stop me. I'm gonna climb it. Are you with me Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

Bonnie ran up to the wall, "I'm climbing too. C'mon, Ash."  
Clemont quickly grabbed her and said, "No, Bonnie. We're taking the elevator."

Serena sighed, "I'm taking the elevator too. Be careful, Ash."

They watched as Ash and Pikachu made their way to the wall. Ash reversed his cap and placed his hands on two of the holds. He began to climb alongside Pikachu, step by step, placing both hands and then both feet. Before long, Ash had ascended half of the wall. He looked up to see Grant waiting for him at the top, arms crossed as he looked down at the incoming challenger. Ash didn't want to keep Grant waiting, so he decided to speed up. However his increased pace meant that he wasn't paying close attention to where he was placing his hands and feet, and as he tried to place his foot on one of the holds, he slipped. He felt a searing pain shoot through his chest as he held on with both of his hands. Pikachu looked down in terror and called out to his trainer.

Ash wasn't going to let go, not ever. He pulled himself up and reset his feet before continuing up the wall. As he reached the top, Ash was completely out of breath, and he sat on the ground panting until Grant walked over and helped him up. "How was the climb, Ash?" Grant asked.

"It was...It was good," Ash replied as he heaved.

"I heard about what happened to you a couple days ago. I'm surprised that you were even strong enough to walk, let alone climb. Tell me, Ash, what were you thinking about as you climbed the wall?"

Ash thought hard for a moment, "To be honest, the only thing I was thinking about was reaching the top."

Grant clapped his hands, "Perfect."

"Huh?"

"This means you have achieved a true understanding of what it means to climb a wall. When you climb, all you can think about is where you place your hands and feet as you make your way to the top. Nothing else goes through your mind, you are completely focused on the task at hand. This is also why I love battling with Pokémon, because the trainer and their Pokémon are fixed on one goal, climbing one wall: victory over their opponent. You've got a lofty goal ahead of you, Ash. To compete in a Pokémon League tournament is no easy task, as you have to defeat eight gym leaders, climb eight different walls. They may all have their tricks, but a serious trainer won't notice, they will only care about reaching the top. I am another wall for you to attempt. Will you conquer me, or will you fall? This will be decided now. Please take your spot in the challenger's box, and we'll get started."

Once Grant had finished speaking, he walked away and stopped on the opposite side of the field from Ash. As he stopped, a door off to the right opened, and Ash's companions stepped out. They walked up to a railing at the edge of the battlefield and cheered out in unison, "Let's go, Ash!"

The referee of the match took his place on the opposite side and announced, "This will be an official league match between the challenger, Ash Ketchum, and the gym leader, Grant. Each trainer may use only three Pokémon each, and only the challenger may make substitutions. Trainers, release your first Pokémon."

Grant smiled as he pulled out a Poké ball and yelled, "C'mon out, Onix," before throwing it onto the field. The Rock Snake Pokémon appeared from the ball and roared before curling up in front of Grant.

"My turn. Let's do this, Froakie." Ash released the Bubble Frog Pokémon in a sheath of white light. Froakie jumped up onto a nearby rock and eyed his massive opponent. Froakie and Ash had trained to look for weak points around an opponent's body. The bigger they are, the bigger those weak points are as well. While Onix had a hard, rocky exterior, the joints between sections of its body were relatively under-armored. He would go for there first, hopefully that would work.

* * *

"Oh man this is gonna be exciting!" Bonnie exclaimed as she tugged on the sleeve of her brother's jumpsuit.

"It really is. It will be interesting to see how Froakie will fight against a Pokémon who is so much bigger than he is," Clemont responded.

"What do you think, Serena?" Bonnie asked as she turned to the older girl.

"Yeah, I guess," Serena replied weakly.

"What's wrong, Serena?" Clemont asked.

"Yeah, you seem kinda nervous. You do know that Ash is the one battling right?"

"Well the thing is, I didn't really understand how important this was to Ash back in Santalune City. Now I know how hard he's been working for this, and how much he's gone through to get here. He really deserves this, especially after recent events."

Bonnie grabbed her hand and gave her a huge smile, "Don't worry, Serena, he'll win. Besides, he's got us here cheering for him all the way."

"I guess you're right. Still, I can't help but feel nervous."

"Trust me, Serena, your boyfriend will win," Bonnie replied with a smirk. "Besides, Dedenne and I are rooting for him. Right Dedenne?"

Dedenne poked his head out of Bonnie's satchel and yelled out, "De de nene!"

Serena shook her head and rolled her eyes. Sometimes Bonnie could be a little overzealous... for lack of a better word. She turned to the field and watched as the gym battle began.

* * *

"Well, Ash, it's time to get the show on the road. Onix, use Rock Throw."

Onix unraveled itself and used its enormous tail to uproot boulders scattered around the battlefield, launching them at Froakie at high speeds. Froakie effortlessly dodged the boulders one by one. Once the salvo from Onix stopped, Froakie retaliated with his own attack, throwing a whirling ball of water, a Water Pulse, at Onix, striking it directly.

The super effective attack didn't seem to affect Onix, as it roared again before throwing another volley at Froakie. Once again, Froakie jumped out of the way with ease before countering with yet another Water Pulse. Onix took the attack again, and again it looked fresh, even after withstanding two strong attacks.

"Your Froakie is fast, Ash. You have really trained it well. But, Onix and I are used to fighting against fast opponents. We're not gonna give up so easily. Onix, use Rock Polish."

Onix curled up again and began to grind its body against itself. Once it had finished, its entire body shimmered in the light of the room, and it uncurled itself once more to wait for orders from Grant.

"Alright Onix, use Rock Throw again."

"You're doing good, Froakie, do exactly what you did again."

The Rock Snake Pokémon threw more rocks at its opponent. This time, the attack was much faster, and Froakie had more trouble dodging each rock. Froakie fired off another Water Pulse at Onix, but this time Onix twisted its massive body and swatted the attack back towards Froakie with a flick of its tail. Froakie was caught off guard by the counter, and was sent flying back by his own attack.

* * *

"What did Rock Polish do, Clemont? Onix seems to be " Bonnie asked as she tugged on her brother's jumpsuit.

"Rock Polish is a move that boosts the speed of a rock type pokémon. Grant knows that he and Onix can't beat Froakie's speed and type advantage, so he's evening the field as best he can."

"Is Ash in trouble?" Serena asked.

"He's still got the type advantage, but every trainer knows that that doesn't matter all the time. We'll just have to see how this will shape out."

* * *

"Froakie, Onix is as fast as we are now. We need to use everything we know to beat it. Use Quick Attack."

"Onix, give them a Flash Cannon."

Froakie sprinted forward at Onix, who tracked the Bubble Frog Pokémon with its eyes. As Froakie drew near, Onix opened its humongous jaws and fired a beam of heated light in front of its opponent. The beam hit the ground in front of Froakie, causing him to stumble as a cloud of dust and smoke erupted into the air in front of him. Onix swung its mighty tail and swatted the stunned Froakie away from itself. Froakie collided with a submerged rock next to Ash, completely crushing it into small pieces. The pokémon stumbled forward and shook his head. Froakie was in great pain, but he could still battle. He needed to show Ash how strong he was, and that meant taking Onix down, no matter the cost.

"Hang in there, Froakie. Use Double Team."

"Onix, wipe it away with a Flash Cannon."

Froakie jumped up and vanished from sight, only to reappear in ten different places at once. Onix was momentarily confused, but it composed itself and fired another beam of light. The beam split through all of the fake copies that Froakie had made, leaving Froakie out in the open. Onix fired another Flash Cannon at the defenseless pokémon, launching it back once more. Froakie landed on the ground and struggled to get back up and throw another Water Pulse at Onix. The Rock Snake Pokémon shot another Flash Cannon, which collided with Froakie's attack, creating a screen of white mist in the air, obscuring the sightlines on the battlefield.

As the mist settled, Froakie and Onix stood motionless, staring directly into each other's eyes without blinking. Ash smiled inwardly, he had finally figured out how he would defeat Onix. He smirked and said quietly to his partner, "Froakie, just do as I say without hesitation. I know what we need to do, but we have to move fast."

Froakie nodded and awaited Ash's command. He wouldn't let his trainer down, not now not ever.

"Froakie, use Water Pulse."

"Onix, counter with Flash Cannon."

Before the two attacks collided, Ash shouted out, "Now, use Double Team and get close."

The two attacks collided, covering the battlefield in thick mist again. Once the mist cleared up, Onix looked around to find its opponent. Froakie was nowhere to be found, until it looked down. All around its body were dozens of copies of Froakie, slowly climbing up the Rock Snake Pokémon. Onix gave a bewildered roar and began to slam its tail against its body in confusion. The attempt to knock Froakie off only managed to tire the pokémon out.

Once Ash was certain that Onix was thoroughly exhausted enough, he commanded, "Froakie, use Water Pulse."

All together, the copies of Froakie jumped off of Onix and launched a combined attack on all corners of its body. Onix fell to the ground, unable to lift itself off of the ground.

"Onix is unable to continue fighting, Froakie is the winner."

Ash chuckled as he pulled out a Poké ball to recall Froakie, "That was a great battle there, Froakie. Take a rest, I'll need you later."

Grant smiled at the younger trainer and said, "That was something there, Ash. The smoke and mirrors play really caught me off guard. But, you're gonna need to do more in order to beat me. Come on out Amaura."

The Tundra Pokémon appeared in a flash of white light out of Grant's Poké ball. The sails above its sleek, icy head slowly changed color as it ran up to its trainer to nuzzle against his chest.

"Where did you get the Amaura?" Ash asked in awe.

"I got it from the Ambrette Fossil Lab. The scientists there wanted to experiment on the Pokémon, see how it would react with a human trainer. So, they gave it to me, and we have grown so strong together. Now, let me show you the power of a prehistoric pokémon."

"I won't lose, Grant. Let's go, Fletchling," Ash shouted as he threw his own red and white ball.

Fletchling lifted himself high into the air as he was released from the ball. He made a couple circles in the air, studying the battlefield, before hovering above the ground in front of his trainer.

"This will be a battle between the leader's Amaura and the challenger's Fletchling. You may begin."

"Fletchling, use Quick Attack."

"Aurora Beam, Amaura."

Fetchling soared high and dove down, gaining speed as it approached Amaura. From its sails, Amaura fired a multicolored beam of energy, provoking a dodging roll from Fletchling. The roll veered Fletchling off course and his attack missed its mark. Fletchling launched back up high and continued to soar in circles around Amaura.

"Steel Wing, Fletchling."

"Let it come close and use Take Down."

Fletchling dove for another attack, his wings cased in white light. As he came closer, Amaura began to sprint forward and leapt into the air. The two collided in mid air and came crashing back to the ground. Ash grit his teeth as Fletchling dusted himself off and took flight once more, staring down his resilient opponent. Amaura stood back up and roared, preparing itself for another attack.

"Your Fletchling is no match, Ash. Now Amaura, use Rock Tomb."

Ash didn't have time to call his own attack as Amaura began to throw rocks up at Fletchling. Fletchling tried to weave his way through the onslaught, but a single stone clipped his wing and he was sent spiraling to the ground. He landed in a puff of dust as more rocks began to land all around him, sheathing him in a rocky prison. Before long, he was out of sight, completely covered by the rocks.

"Give up, Ash. Rock Tomb has completely encased Fletchling."

"We won't give up until we can't battle. Now, Fletchling, use Steel Wing."

The pile of stones around Fletchling began to shake before it burst wide open, letting Fletchling propel himself forward, straight at Amaura. His strengthened wing struck Amaura on the side, lifting the Pokémon off of the ground and into the air. Before it landed, Fletchling came once more and slammed it back against the ground, dirt billowing into the air.

"Great work, Fletchling."

"That was a good move, Ash, but we still have some tricks up our sleeve. Amaura, use Aurora Beam."

Another chromatic beam of light ripped through the cloud of dust and struck Fletchling on the chest. Fletchling once again fell from the sky, landing upright on a nearby rock. The freezing beam chilled him to the bone, and he shook his feathers in an attempt to warm himself up. As the dust cleared, Fletchling could see Amaura standing in the center, staring angrily his way. Its sails glowed a deep, sanguine red, and it roared out, its call echoing through the chamber. Fletchling took flight again and hung in the air above Ash.

* * *

"This battle is really getting heated right now. Neither Fletchling, nor Amaura are giving an inch," Clemont muttered.

"But someone still has to win," Serena finished his sentence for him.

"Yeah, someone has to win. They're both extremely exhausted at the moment, this next attack may decide just that."

* * *

"Fletchling, fly low and use Steel Wing again."

"Ancient Power, Amaura, let's go."

Fletchling swooped down, flying only inches above the ground as he advanced upon his opponent. He watched as Amaura primed a ball of silver energy between its sails. Fletchling hit the Pokémon on its left foreleg, and it fell over onto its back before launching the attack at Fletchling. The sphere of energy collided with the Tiny Robin Pokémon, sending him tumbling against the ground. Amaura stood back up on its legs, and shook the dust off of its body. On the other side of the field, Fletchling wasn't as lucky. He tried to lift himself back up, but crumpled down against the ground, too exhausted to continue.

"Fletchling is unable to battle, Amaura is the winner," the referee's deep voice boomed through the room.

Ash sighed and recalled Fletchling into his Poké ball before clipping it back onto his belt. "You battled well, Fletchling. Take a good rest," Ash said as he pulled out another ball.

"Who are you gonna choose now, Ash?" Grant asked.

"I'm gonna use Froakie. Let's do this," Ash responded as he threw the ball onto the field.

The Bubble Frog Pokémon appeared from the ball and took a battle stance again. He was still exhausted from the battle with Onix, but this new opponent was just as tired as he was. It would be a fair fight.

"This battle will be between the leader's Amaura and the challenger's Froakie. You may begin."

Ash smirked, "Go Froakie, use Double Team."

Froakie vanished and reappeared in multiple places around the battlefield. All of the Froakie copies ran forward and surrounded Amaura, who looked around frantically to find its real opponent.

"Don't be confused, Amaura, stop it with Thunder Wave."

Amaura's sails changed to a bright yellow as it fired a jolt of electricity in all directions. The copies all vanished as they were struck with the attack, leaving the original Froakie alone in front of Amaura. Amaura aimed at Froakie again and shot another Thunder Wave. Froakie tried to jump out of the way, but the attack found its mark. Froakie crumpled on the ground, his body paralyzed from the Thunder Wave. He struggled to lift himself up as Amaura butted him with its head. Froakie was launched into the air and landed in front of Ash.

"You've gotta get up, Froakie."

Froakie slowly stood back up and turned back to Ash. The electricity was still coursing through his body, and he had to make a lot of effort to move with any speed. He was really in trouble now.

"Froakie, we need to make our movements count now. Use short and concise moves and we'll be good. Now, use Water Pulse."

Froakie stood still and fired his attack at Amaura, who was too slow to dodge the attack. Amaura shuddered and took a step forward, shaking itself awake. The battle with Fletchling had really taken a toll on it, and it was much more tired than it looked.

"Aurora Beam, Amaura."

"Get close and use Water Pulse."

Froakie and Amaura circled each other, neither wanting to move first and risk a costly mistake. They stared at each other for a minute before launching both of their attacks. The attacks grazed each other as they approached their intended targets, but neither veered off course. Froakie tried to dodge, but his legs wouldn't move. He braced himself for the attack.

The attacks landed at the same time, and when the mist cleared, both pokémon were lying motionless on the ground.

"Amaura and Froakie are both unable to battle. That means that this round is a tie."

Both trainers recalled their pokémon and stared at each other in silence before Grant said, "We both have just one pokémon left, Ash. I hope that you're ready. Let's go, Tyrunt."

The Royal Heir Pokémon snorted and prepared for battle. It crunched its enormous jaws together, making a clapping sound that echoed through the battlefield.

"I see they gave you a Tyrunt as well, Grant," Ash remarked.

"That's right. This one has a lot more energy than Amaura, and it's loads more powerful too."

"Then we'll have to fight dragon type with dragon type, let's do this, Gible."

Gible didn't jump onto the battlefield right away, but instead jumped onto Ash's head, mouth first. Ash laughed and said, "Stop Gible, that hurts. Now c'mon, let's win this battle together."

Gible dislodged itself and prepared to fight. His opponent across the battlefield looked strong, but it was still no match for him. He had fought in the Sinnoh league, and battled far superior foes. He mastered Draco Meteor, and now he was working on evolving into a Garchomp. This was just another step in his journey.

"This will be a battle between the leader's Tyrunt and the challenger's Gible. The victor of this battle will decide the winner of the gym match. You may begin."

* * *

"So it's down to Gible and Tyrunt," Bonnie said.

"That's right Bonnie. There's a lot of pressure on these two, and they will give it their all," Clemont replied.

Serena sighed, "Now I'm getting really nervous."

"Ash and Gible have been through a lot together. There's no doubt in my mind that they'll win, or at least give Grant a run for his money," Clemont said.

"Nope, now I'm even more nervous."

Clemont shrugged, "Eh. At least I tried."

"Both of you be quiet, I'm trying to watch the battle!"

* * *

"Alright Gible, let's go. Use Dig."

Gible dove into the ground leaving a gaping hole where he had been. The battlefield was eerily quiet while Tyrunt searched for where Gible had gone.

"Tyrunt, flush Gible out with Stomp."

Tyrunt nodded and jumped high into the air using its powerful legs. As it came back down, a shockwave shot out from its landing zone. The shockwave cracked the floor beneath Tyrunt, and Gible came shooting up out of the ground and into the sky.

"While he's in the air, use Crunch."

Tyrunt jumped up once more and grabbed Gible with its massive jaws, squeezing tightly before throwing him back down towards the ground. Gible landed on a nearby rock, cleaving it into many little pieces and sending rubble flying twenty feet into the air. Gible jumped up from the crash, such an attack was not enough to keep him down.

"Gible, use Dragon Pulse."

"Deflect it with Dragon Tail."

Gible launched a chromatic stream of fire from his gaping mouth. As the flames neared Tyrunt, it sheathed its tail in green scales of light and jabbed it through the core of the flames, parting the stream in two separated tongues shooting out in right angles.

"Now Gible, use Rock Smash."

"Headbutt, Tyrunt."

Gible charged forward and jumped head first towards Tyrunt. Tyrunt rocked back on its legs and lunged forward. Their heads collided, causing a massive crack. Tyrunt lowered its head and quickly lifted it, catapulting Gible into the air. Again Tyrunt jumped and spun, slamming Gible back down to the ground with a powerful Dragon Tail. Gible jumped back, dodging another attack from Tyrunt as it landed.

"Gible, use Draco Meteor."

"Counter with your own Draco Meteor, Tyrunt."

Both pokémon shot a sphere of orange energy up into the air. As the two attacks collided, they exploded in a burst of fire. Smaller projectiles rained down from the sky, making Gible and Tyrunt scurry for cover. Both pokémon were caught in the deadly hail, and the ground was covered in a thick blanket of smoke. The battlers stood still, staring intently at each other, waiting for the next order from their trainers.

Ash grit his teeth. _How can I defeat Tyrunt if it can counter every single attack I make? I have to figure something out. Tyrunt and Gible are both incredibly powerful, but I have to be craftier if I want to win_. He called out, "Gible are you alright."

Gible weakly nodded and fell to one knee. He had received a lot of damage from Tyrunt's counterattacks. He needed to be stronger if he was to win. He needed more power. An energy stirred in his chest, and he was cloaked in a white light. His body began to change shape and grow larger.

* * *

"Is that… is Gible evolving?" Serena asked.

"He knew that he couldn't beat Tyrunt without getting stronger, and there was no better way to do that than evolve," Clemont replied.

Bonnie and Dedenne jumped up and down behind the railing, "That's so cool!"

* * *

The light around the pokémon burst. Instead of Gible, a taller and darker pokémon stood in his place. Gible's small hands were replaced with a single large claw on either hand. Instead of a single fin on his head, this pokémon had four different fins: two on his arms, one on his back, and one on his thick, developing tail. He turned back to Ash and smiled a toothy grin, his light amber eyes burning with a deep passion.

Ash smiled back, "I think that you're ready for battle, Gabite."

* * *

"What's that pokémon, Serena?" Bonnie asked.

"Let me check." Serena pulled out her Pokédex and scanned the new pokémon.

The screen changed to a picture of Gabite and the robotic, female voice said, "Gabite, the Cave Pokémon and evolved form of Gible. As Gabite digs to expand its nest, it habitually digs up gems that it then hoards in its nest."

Clemont chuckled to himself, "Gabite is much stronger than Gible ever was. I don't think this fight will be fair."

"Let's go, Gabite! You're gonna win!" Bonnie cheered.

* * *

"Gabite, use Dragon Pulse."

"Deflect it again with Dragon Tail."

Gabite jumped up and fired another column of multicolored flames at Tyrunt. This time the flames were much larger and hotter than ever before. Tyrunt tried to deflect the attack with Dragon Tail again, but this time it was not enough to stop the fire, and it was launched backwards by the force of the attack.

"Slash, Gabite."

Gabite sprinted forward and clawed Tyrunt across the chest as it got up. Tyrunt retaliated by using another Dragon Tail, but Gabite quickly dodged out of the way and came in for another slash, knocking Tyrunt back and off of its feet once more.

Gabite stepped back once more and snapped his snout at his opponent, who stumbled up from the last attack.

"Gabite, use Dig."

Gabite obliged, and drilled his way deep under the battlefield. Tyrunt prepared to attack again.

"Just like last time, Tyrunt, use Stomp."

Tyrunt leapt back into the air and slammed back down onto the ground. The earth below it cracked, and a puff of dust rose into the air. Gabite came soon after, and launched high into the air. Tyrunt jumped after it, jaws wide open.

"Gabite, start a spin and use Dragon Pulse."

Gabite flipped in the air so that its head faced the ground and used its fins as sails to begin an accelerating spin. Out of its gaping mouth, more rainbow flames began to erupt. The flames engulfed his body as he drew closer to Tyrunt. Tyrunt tried to stop his ascent, but crashed into Gabite face first. The flames around Gabite exploded, creating a huge cloud of smoke in midair. Both pokémon fell out of the smoke and dove towards the ground. Gabite flipped once more and landed on his feet staring directly at Tyrunt, who collided with the ground at high speed. Tyrunt lifted its head off of the ground and tried to rock itself back onto its feet, but it was too tired to get up. It set its head back down onto the ground as the red beam of light encased its body before it vanished back into its Poké ball.

"Tyrunt is unable to battle, Gabite is the winner. The victor of this official gym match is the challenger Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

Ash pumped his fist and shouted, "Great work, Gabite, you did awesome."

Pikachu, who had remained almost silent for the entire gym battle jumped up onto Ash's shoulder and nuzzled against his head while the rest of the group came out to congratulate Ash.

Grant walked up to Ash and shook his hand, "That was an excellent battle, Ash. You and your pokémon really showed me the bond that you share. There is no one else I would rather lose to." He pulled out a brown piece of glass shaped like a staggered rock face. "Here, Ash, this is the Cliff Badge. It shows that you have conquered me in battle, and that you are one step closer to joining the Kalos league. Take it, it's yours."

"Thank you,"Ash said as he took the badge from Grant's hand and placed it in his badge case, right next to the Bug badge that he received from Viola in Santalune City. _Two down, six to go_.

* * *

"So, where to now?" Serena asked as they exited the gym.

Ash shrugged, "Anyone have any suggestions?"

Clemont nodded, "I've got one. There's a gym in Shalour City, next to the Tower of Mastery."

"Tower of Mastery?"

"It's rumored to be the place where we learned that pokémon can Mega Evolve. It's definitely something we should look at."

"Well I'm in. If I can get a gym badge and help Professor Sycamore with his research at the same time, then it's a win-win scenario."

"The only problem is that it's a month of travel away."

Ash sighed, "A month? Really?"

"That's alright guys. Look," Serena pointed to the screen on her traveler's guide. On the screen was a flier for a summer camp happening in a couple weeks, proctored by none other than Professor Sycamore himself. "The camp is in between here and Shalour. We can make it there right when it starts. What do you say?"

Ash smiled, "That sounds like an awesome idea, Serena. Let's do it."

Bonnie cried in excitement, "Yay! C'mon guys let's get going. Onward to Shalour City!"

Bonnie went running down the pathway, followed closely by Serena and Clemont. Ash stayed still and pulled the disk containing the dive footage out of his backpack. He slid his finger over the top of the white disk, scanning the label that read "Cussler Dive". He knew he had to try and put his mind back on track after what happened, but he would never sleep the same until Draven was no longer roaming freely. Ash had that sinking feeling that they would meet again, in some time or place, and he would end Draven's reign of terror. He looked up to see Serena standing directly in front of him, her eyes fixed on the disk in his hand.

"C'mon, Ash, let's get going. You'll forget about it over time."

"No, I wont. He'll haunt my sleep until I find him." Ash pocketed the disk and began to walk forward.

Serena stopped him by saying, "He'll haunt my sleep too. Do you think a part of me didn't die there when I saw you on that hospital bed? You're my best friend in this world, and you're the reason that I'm traveling right now with my very own pokémon. We'll take him down together."

Ash turned around and muttered, "I have an answer for you."

"What?"

"I have an answer to your question from earlier: if I cried for you after the summer camp. The answer is yes." Ash turned around and began to walk away, saying, "Now c'mon, let's go."

Serena smiled and twiddled her thumbs in embarrassment behind him as he continued to walk. As she saw that Ash was moving too far away she said, "Ash wait for me!" before running after him.

Ash stopped momentarily to let her catch up, and the two friends walked together away from the gym, the recent conversation they just had swimming through both of their minds as they watched the noon sun amble through the sky, only to duck behind a feathery, white cloud.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who read this. I am looking to get a new chapter up as soon as I possibly can, so look for that. For all of you who have followed and/or favorited, you guys really are the best. I wouldn't really do this if someone else didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.**

**Don't forget to vote, I'm keeping it up! GO VOTE NOW!**


	10. Chapter 10: A Bitter Sweets Rivalry

**OH BOY HE'S BACK!**

**Hello everyone, I'm pleased to announce that I'm not in fact dead, nor have I completely forgot about this story. I'm sorry it took me so long to try and get this done, but this chapter was just so hard for me to complete. I had to take a long rest for personal problems, and when I came back I had the worst possible writer's block. This chapter took me forever to write, and I ended up writing pieces for a ton of different chapters in the future instead. But I finally got through it, and I'm releasing this chapter today.**

**On another note, the poll for "Which Pokémon should be caught next?" is now closed, thank you to everyone for voting. I'm not going to announce the winner on the chapter, because some of you may not want spoilers, but it is still on my profile. Go look at it if you want.**

**After a long wait, here we go again.**

**Chapter 10: A Bitter Sweets Rivalry**

* * *

"Gabite, use Dig once more."

Gabite readied his powerful claws and scratched at the surface of the ground. In a matter of seconds, he had disappeared from sight, leaving a massive gaping hole in his wake. His opponent searched wildly around, its red eyes moving rapidly as it surveyed its surroundings. The ground began to rumble under its feet and Gabite erupted from the ground in a massive plume of dirt and rock.

"Ivysaur counter it with Razor Leaf."

As the Seed Pokémon was lifted up into the air by Gabite's attack, it launched a storm of spinning, sharp leaves from the pink bulb on its back. The torrent of leaves cut into Gabite's skin, forcing him to throw up his arms in order to shield himself.

"Slash, Gabite."

As Gabite landed feet first on the ground, he sprinted forward at Ivysaur, brandishing his sharpened claws. Ivysaur didn't have to time to brace, and was sent flying back into the air by the force of the attack. Gabite catapulted himself into the air after Ivysaur and slammed the grass type back to the ground. Ivysaur crashed into the dirt with a sharp crack, sending a cloud of dust into the air. It slowly lifted itself back up off of the ground, but stumbled over again, too tired to continue the battle. A deep red light enveloped Ivysaur and in an instant the pokémon vanished, recalled back into its Poké ball.

Clemont rushed over and yelled out, "Ivysaur is unable to battle, Ash wins the battle."

* * *

Serena cheered turned to Bonnie. She patted the girl on the shoulder and said, "Ash and Gabite have become really strong, haven't they?"

Bonnie returned the smile and replied, "Yeah, they're really good. But I still have a problem with all of the battles that he's been having since Gabite evolved."

"What is it?" Serena asked

"Well it's the trainers he has been fighting against recently." She pointed at Ash who was busy talking to the Ivysaur's trainer, a tall, thin girl with brilliant bronze hair. Her face had very soft features and her big, brown eyes were fixed on Ash as they talked. She gripped her hands together behind her back, pushing her chest out as she rolled her shoulders back and forth. She pulled out a notebook and a pen and gave them to Ash, continuing to stare at him as he signed his name on the paper.

Serena grimaced, "It seems that more...people...are approaching Ash for his autograph lately."

The young, blonde girl shrugged, "He is a pretty famous trainer, I think people are finally starting to learn that he's here in Kalos for another league."

"I know, but why do those people always have to be beautiful girls?"

"Oh c'mon, Serena, you know that you're the most beautiful girl, and you're perfect for him. Plus you also have something else over every other girl."

Serena blushed at Bonnie's complement and asked, "What is it?"

"He knows you, of course. You guys are best friends, and were even before he became famous. He even asked you to travel with him on his journey through Kalos. You two have something that these girls wish they could have."

Serena sighed, "I guess you're right, Bonnie, but it still makes me pretty uncomfortable."

"I mean, it helps that he's also pretty dense. That girl is practically putting her chest in his face and he doesn't bat an eye. He's probably too busy thinking about battle strategies that he and Gabite can use."

"That's a double-edged sword you know, Bonnie."

* * *

Ash smiled at the girl in front of him and handed back the notebook and pen, "There you go. That was a great battle, Holly."

Holly giggled, "Thanks Ash, that means so much coming from you." She placed the notebook back in the satchel on her side and ran off in the opposite direction, squealing in glee.

Ash smiled and walked over to Gabite, patting the pokémon on his head. Gabite gave a pleased grumble and lifted his head up to latch his jaws on top of Ash's head.

Ash winced and laughed, "I guess old habits die hard right? Return, Gabite." He pulled out Gabite's Poké ball and recalled the pokémon, leaving just the four traveling companions, Dedenne, and Pikachu alone on the grassy field.

"There's a town nearby, we should go there to fill up on supplies before heading on the road again," Clemont said.

Ash nodded, "Sounds good, Clemont. Serena, Bonnie, you ready?"

Bonnie gave him a thumbs up, "Good to go!"

* * *

The nearby town was small, no more than a bunch of spread out ranches with a decently sized shopping area in the center. As the group walked through the forum, they noticed a massive, outdoor theatre situated right in the center of the city. From their vantage point, it looked like the people around were preparing for some sort of contest on the theatre stage. Groups of men were setting up many tables as others tested a microphone system. A small trickle of people began to take seats around in the sloped seating around the front of the stage.

"Wonder what's happening there?" Ash asked.

Clemont just shrugged, "I dunno. We're here for supplies, but be on the lookout for some information about it."

As Clemont walked into a nearby Poké Mart to buy provisions for the group, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie sat on a bench right outside, overlooking the theatre. They watched as the crews began to bring in ovens and kitchen appliances, placing them alongside the dozens of tables around the stage. Another group of crew members dropped off berries, flour, and other ingredients, placing them in a pattern on every table.

"Ovens, mixers, and baking ingredients? I'm really intrigued by what they're doing now," Ash said.

Bonnie shook her head, "I don't know, but all that stuff really is making me hungry."

Serena snapped her fingers and asked, "I've got something for us to snack on while we wait, would you guys like some?"

"Yeah, that sounds awesome," Ash said

Bonnie smiled, "Show us, Serena!"

Serena reached into her pack and pulled out a small wicker basket. As she opened it, the others could see that inside were a dozen cupcake-like treats.

"What are they?" Ash asked.

"They're called Poké Puffs. They're just little goodies for pokémon and humans alike."

Ash reached out and grabbed one of the cakes, one with orange frosting and a small lightning bolt on top. Serena's eyes widened as she yelled out, "Ash, wait don't eat that one!" but it was too late. Ash took a massive bite out of the Poké Puff and his face froze in mid-bite.

Serena gasped, "Ash, that's a Poké Puff for electric types like Pikachu. They're very specialized for the different tastes of pokémon, not yours. It probably doesn't taste good."

Ash beamed, "I don't know what you're talking about, Serena, that was so awesome. You wanna try some, Bonnie?"

Bonnie squealed, "Sure Ash, give it to me."

Ash handed the girl a piece of the Poké Puff. Bonnie placed the bite in her mouth and immediately spit it out. "Gosh, it's so sour!" Bonnie said as she rubbed her tongue to get the taste out.

Serena sighed, "I guess Ash just has the same tastes as Pikachu. Here Bonnie take a refreshing Sitrus berry puff. This one isn't for a specialized type of pokémon."

Bonnie took the treat, a wide smile appearing on her face, and she took a massive bite out of the side of the puff. Her smile only widened, and as she finished the Poké Puff, she said, "Wow, that was awesome, Serena."

Serena rubbed her neck in embarrassment, "Thanks, Bonnie, I'm glad you like it. What about you Ash and Pikachu?"

Ash handed a bite of his puff to Pikachu, who eagerly munched on the soft cake, before saying, "We both love it don't we, Pikachu?"

"Pika Pi!"

"Why don't you let me try one?" A strange voice asked from behind Serena.

Serena turned around to see a similarly aged girl standing before her. The girl had shorter, blue hair with stunning, orange-red eyes. She wore a blue-green blouse with a bright orange scarf tied in the front, hanging down to her waist. Hugging her lower body were a pair of dark blue shorts, tapering off halfway down her thighs. To finish her outfit, she wore an orange headband with light blue frills around it. Next to her was a short, white pokémon with a fluffy, pink protrusion on its head that looked much like a head of poofy hair. On top of its head was a red ball that resembled a cherry to Serena. Around its neck was a collar of red, similar in color to the red "cherry" on its head. Its deep pink tongue hung out the side of its mouth, and it stared at Serena with two equally pink eyes.

Serena shrugged at the girl's request. "Sure, take one," She said.

The girl smirked, "Thanks. Take it with Psychic, Slurpuff."

The pokémon acknowledged as its eyes glowed a brilliant blue. One of Serena's Poké Puffs was lifted straight out of her basket and into the pokémon's gaping mouth. It chewed for a second and nodded to its trainer, who said arrogantly, "Slurpuff says your Poké Puff is moderate at best."

Serena grit her teeth, "And who are you to judge how good my baking is?"

The girl giggled, "The name's Miette, and I'm one of the best bakers in all of Kalos. I'm here to participate in the contest happening here in a little bit over there," Miette pointed to the stage. "And who might you be?"

Serena frowned, "I'm Serena, and I'm gonna beat you in that contest, we'll see who is the better baker."

Ash shook his head, "Whoa, Serena, we need to leave pretty soon. We want to get as far as possible before nighttime."

Serena turned around and whispered between clenched teeth, "I can't let this girl make fun of me like that. I put a lot of pride into myself and my baking skill. I'm gonna do that contest, Ash."

Ash sighed and nodded, saying, "Alright, if you want to do this then I won't stop you."

Miette gasped and held a hand to her mouth, "Wait, you're Ash Ketchum aren't you?"

Hearing his name, Ash looked up and replied, "Yeah I am, why do you ask?"

"Wow, the tabloids said that you were in Kalos somewhere, but I didn't expect it would be here."

Ash confusingly asked, "Tabloids?"

"Yeah," Miette pulled a magazine out of her pack and handed it to Ash. It was the latest issue of _Pokémon Illustrated_, just out the day before. The picture on the front cover was of him and his Charizard, with a caption reading "Ketchum Conquering Kalos?". Ash turned the pages to the front page article, and Serena and Bonnie crowded around him as they read the article together:

_"It looks like the Kanto prodigy, Ash Ketchum, is at it again. After losing in the Top 8 at the Vertress Competition in Unova (a step backwards from the Lily of the Valley Competition in Sinnoh where he took Top 4 after a heartbreaking loss to Tobias and his team of legendary pokémon), he took a bit of time off to continue training his pokémon further, and it looks like he's ready to come back and go for another championship, this time in the Kalos League. In a matter of a few weeks, he has already defeated two gym leaders, and he's making his journey to the third. Could this possibly be his year to win, or will he fall short for the sixth time? We'll just have to wait and see._

_Ash Ketchum started his journey in the quiet Pallet Town, the hometown of world renowned Pokémon Professor, Samuel Oak. Unlike any other rookie trainer from Kanto, he did not start out with Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur. Instead, Oak gave the then ten year old boy a Pikachu, the same Pikachu that still perches on Ketchum's shoulder today. This Pikachu is definitely much stronger than any other similar aged Pikachu, and it has the power to defeat legendary Pokémon, even tieing with Tobias' Latios in the Lily of the Valley Conference…"_

Ash closed the magazine and handed it back to Miette. He didn't want to read the article anymore, as it reminded him of how close he was to winning a League Championship, only to choke once he came close. This time would be different, he could feel it.

"I can't believe I'm meeting the Ash Ketchum. This is amazing," Miette said as she placed the magazine back into her bag.

Ash gave an embarrassed smile, "I didn't think I was that exciting."

Miette turned to Bonnie and Serena,"That means that you two are traveling with Ash as well. What do you guys do?"

Bonnie was the first to answer, "We're traveling with my brother, Clemont, the Lumiose City gym leader. I'm just tagging along so that I can learn a little about taking care of pokémon before I become a trainer myself."

"That sounds great, you'll definitely be an awesome trainer." She gave Serena an arrogant smirk, "And what about you? What do you do?" She asked.

Serena looked down, "Well to be honest, I really don't know. I was just joining Ash so that I could learn about what I want to do."

Miette snickered, "So you're just one of Ash's groupies then? That's just typical, you're no better than some screaming fangirl, riding on Ash's coattails."

Serena's face grew red with anger, "I'm nothing like those girls. For your information, Ash asked me to travel with him. If anything, you're like one of those girls."

Miette glared at Serena, "Hmm, we'll settle this in the contest. See you there, Serena, unless you're too busy with living in the shadow of your 'friend'." Miette turned to Ash and winked, "I'll see you later, Ash."

As she began to walk away, Serena yelled after her, "I'll show you some moderate at best Poké Puffs, Miette."

Once Miette had left, Clemont walked out of the store, bags in hand, and asked, "Are you guys ready to get going?"

Ash shook his head, "Actually, it seems that plans have changed."

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

Serena stormed off, muttering, "I'm gonna show her. Moderate Poké Puffs, yeah right. I'll beat her and show her what happens to people that talk to me like that."

Clemont scratched his head, "I think I may have missed something."

Bonnie sighed, "You think, Clemont?"

* * *

It didn't take long for Serena to sign up for the contest, although she was kinda regretting it once she was on the stage. The seats around the theatre were completely filled with people, all of their eyes trained on the bakers gathering behind their tables. She looked around nervously and finally found what, or who, she was searching for. Ash was sitting in the first row, slightly left of the center. She caught his eye and he gave her a smile with a thumbs up. That simple gesture was enough to energize her, and all of her anxiety washed away. She continued to stare at Ash until Miette startled her by placing her hands on Serena's shoulder, saying, "He's pretty great, isn't he, Serena?"

"Wha...what?" Serena asked.

"You seriously think that you can hide your feelings? Everyone with eyes can see how much you like him."

"Yeah, everyone except him." Serena mumbled to herself.

"Maybe he does know, but he just doesn't want to break your heart. He's too nice of a guy to say no to anyone."

Serena's face burned with anger, "What did you just say?"

"Good luck, Serena." Miette teased as she walked off.

A tall woman walked up onto the stage and tapped a microphone. She cleared her throat and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our twentieth annual Poké Puff baking contest. Amazing bakers from around the Kalos region have come today so that they may compete against some of the best. This competition will consist of two rounds, a preliminary and a championship round. In the preliminary, every baker will create an array of three different Poké Puffs with the ingredients that we have provided. The top three bakers will then move on to the championship round, where they will make one more treat with ingredients that they must gather for themselves. Now, without further ado, let's get the first round started. You all have one hour, and your time starts now."

Serena tied back her hair and began to combine all of her ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Luckily, the competition allowed for her to use her pokémon as assistants, and Fennekin sat on the table, waiting for her chance to help. Metapod sat on the opposite side, merely staring blankly at her trainer. Serena sighed, sure Metapod had good moves that she could use, but String Shot, Tackle, and Harden were no good in baking. Still, Serena liked the support of all of her pokémon. She looked up from time to time to glance at Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont as well, who were busy watching all of the contestants bake their treats. Ash was the first to glance back at Serena, and flashed her a big smile and a thumbs up. Serena smiled back, just seeing his smile melted away all of her nervousness and doubts. She looked back down and continued to work with a newfound vigor. As she placed her three mixes in the oven, Fennekin jumped off the counter in order to watch the cakes bake, giving Serena the room she needed to make her different icing and toppings. She was so glad that her mother took the time to teach her all about cooking and baking after a long day of Rhyhorn race practice. She was quite adept at it, soon becoming a far superior cook within a matter of months. She didn't know why her mother pushed Rhyhorn racing so much when she was far more talented in activities like fashion, cooking, and dance. Her mother probably wanted her to be a pokémon trainer like her father, whom she had only met a couple of times in her life. The activities she liked weren't of much interest to a normal pokémon trainer like Ash or Clemont, and so Grace probably didn't want her to pursue them as readily. Serena shrugged it off and began to work again, stopping only to wipe the sweat off of her forehead.

The next time Serena looked at the clock, it read only five minutes remaining. Luckily, she had timed herself perfectly, and this five minutes would be little more than adding some decor on the treats. She looked around at all the other contestants, who were busy scrambling to finish their Poké Puffs in time, all except for a few of them. She ordered Fennekin to bathe the edges of the icing to crispen them and fold up the edges to make it look like an edible flower on top of the main cake. She sprinkled some of the cakes with a thin coat of powdered sugar, making the treat look like it had been dusted with snow. As the timer ran out, Serena stepped back to look at her creations, and smirked to herself. There was no doubt, she had done a great job, worthy of even the most skilled of bakers. She looked around at the other creations, and saw a wide variety of different flavors and decorations. The competition was definitely fierce, as they all looked really well crafted. She was angry to see that Miette had made a beautiful assortment that looked like the heads of different pokémon. Serena had to hand it to the other girl, she could definitely bake well.

The announcer walked up to the microphone again and said, "There will be a short intermission while the judges' pokémon will taste and rate the Poké Puffs. Please return for the results of the first round in fifteen minutes."

Ash nodded, "Did you hear that, Clemont. Let's hope that Serena did well." He turned to his friend for a response, but the blond teenager was strangely missing. He looked around to see where Clemont had gone, only to see him running after Bonnie, who was busy trying to hook him up with yet another girl in the crowd. He watched as Clemont used his Aipom Arm to grab Bonnie by the collar and stomp off with her in tow, giggling wildly at her brother.

Serena walked over, her eyes fixed on the brother and sister, before sitting down right next to Ash. She untied her hair and let it fall freely around her shoulders and said to Ash, "Looks like Clemont caught Bonnie trying to find him yet another woman to take care of him.. She's really persistent with that isn't she."

Before Ash could respond, he was interrupted by Miette walking up to them, saying, "Yeah, the next thing you know, she'll be trying to find someone for Ash, unless that is you've already found somebody."

Ash gave the girl a confused glance, "What do you mean by that?"

Miette simply smirked and shot a glance at Serena, who turned away with a grunt, a tinge of pink creeping up on her face. She desperately tried to change the subject by asking, "How do you think you did, Miette?"

"Is that even a question? I'm definitely going to make the second round, and then I'm going to win." She sat down on Ash's side opposite from Serena, scooting herself so close that she was almost on top of Ash's lap.

Serena's face grew even redder as she saw the stunt that Miette was trying to pull. _Why is Miette always trying to push my buttons? It's like she's trying to psych me out in the case that we both pass into the second round. I wish I could find something to retaliate with, but she's just got me zeroed in._ Serena knew she had to do something, and she pulled herself even closer to Ash, squeezing him in between her and Miette. As their legs touched, Serena felt her face heat up more, she felt as if her head might catch fire.

Serena and Miette stared angrily at each other until Ash finally protested, "Hey can you girls scoot over some? I'm getting kinda squished in between you two." Both girls turned their heads away from each other and slid away from Ash, giving him a decent amount of space again. He could see that there was some serious tension between the two, but he just couldn't determine what was causing it. Maybe it was just the pressure of the competition that made them so aggressive? Yeah that had to be it. He decided that he would try and talk to Serena about it, and scooted closer to her in order to ask, "You doin' alright, Serena?"

Serena leaned over and rubbed her forehead, "No, Ash, I'm just a little stressed."

Ash wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close, causing her eyes to widen and the blush to appear on her face again. He said, "Serena, you can tell me what's wrong. Is it the nerves, the pressure?"

Serena shook her head, "No, Ash, it's nothing. I'm fine, really."

Ash patted her shoulder and said, "Alright. You know that we're all rooting for you, Serena. Ain't that right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied. Even though his trainer was very oblivious to real reason that Serena was frustrated, he did try his best to make her feel better. Ash was always trying to help others, that's what made him a great friend and trainer. Pikachu rewarded him by rubbing his cheeks against Ash's ear, giving him a slight jolt of electricity. Ash felt the pleasant shock and rubbed Pikachu's head with his free hand, receiving a happy coo from the Mouse Pokémon.

* * *

"Welcome back, everyone. Thank you all for waiting patiently, we are now ready to announce those bakers who will be advancing to the next round."

Serena instantly perked up, "Oh man, I'm so ready to wipe that smirk off of Miette's face."

Ash turned to her and asked, "You're really fired up right now huh?'

"Of course, I can't just sit idly and let someone talk down to me. I'm gonna win."

"That's the Serena I know. C'mon, let's listen for the results."

The announcer continued, "The judges have chosen four bakers to advance to the next round. The first baker to advance is…" she pulled out an envelope and began to read the names, "Jonah, who wowed the judges with his delicious cakes."

Ash looked around as the audience clapped for a middle aged man, who walked to the stage and stopped right next to the announcer and waved at the crowd with a massive smile on his face.

"The next baker to advance is Miette, whose cakes were unanimously the most beautifully decorated of all."

Serena looked away as Miette smirked and made her way up to the stage. As she joined the other baker on the stage, the announcer spoke once more, "Our third baker to advance is Brandon, the master of a delicious, rustic baking style."

Serena sighed to herself. There's only one spot left and dozens of bakers, what are my chances? She crossed her fingers and closed her eyes, until she felt a light touch on her shoulder. Serena opened her eyes and turned to see Ash with his hand on her shoulder once more, and he flashed her a wide smile as the announcer began to speak once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to announce the fourth person to move on to the finals. Before we announce it, all of us here at this competition would like to thank all of you for coming out to watch or take part in this amazing contest. Now without further ado, the fourth person to advance is… Serena!"

Serena jumped up out of her seat and walked up to the stage holding her head high in the air. As she passed Miette, she noticed the smirk fall off of the other girl's face. Serena stopped next to the other finalists and waved at the crowd before the announcer began again, "We are going to take a break to allow our finalists to get all of their ingredient and prepare for the competition. They will be given three hours to find what they need in the forests around town, and then they will have another hour to prepare a single type of treat to present to the judges. Please join us for the culmination of all their hard work. Finalists, you have three hours to get what you need and be at your work stations, and your time starts now."

Serena practically leaped off of the stage towards her fellow traveling companions and said, "Let's go guys, I have to beat Miette and we're burning time."

As Serena made her way up the steps towards the forest, Bonnie giggled and shouted after her, "Wait for me, Serena. I'm gonna make sure that you win."

Ash chuckled and turned to Clemont, "Ready to go?" he asked.

"I guess, those two will definitely need our expertise in the area of baking in order to win this contest."

Ash snickered, "That they will, Clemont. C'mon let's catch up."

* * *

"What about this one, Serena?" Bonnie asked, holding up a small Oran berry.

Serena stared at the berry for a while and said, "I don't think I'll use it, Bonnie. I think I want my Poké Puffs to be made with some really rare and hard to get ingredients. You should eat it, I bet it tastes good."

Bonnie smiled and popped the berry into her mouth as the group continued on their search. Calling this area a forest was a massive understatement. Most of the foliage around was wild berry bushes and short trees. On either side were massive hill systems, creating large cliff faces that would funnel any traveler into a ravine. On top of each hill were the larger, fruit bearing trees that Serena so desperately wanted to get to. Unfortunately, the cliffs made it a much harder journey than she wanted it to be, and the group had spent the better part of an hour trying to find a way to scale up to the top, to no avail.

"This is taking way too long. There's no way we can scale up these cliffs." Serena moaned.

Ash stopped and thought for a second before saying, "Well maybe we should split up, cover more ground?"

Bonnie cheered, "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea, let's go this way, Clemont, c'mon!"

Before Clemont could respond, Bonnie had dragged him off, leaving Ash, Serena, and Pikachu alone. Ash chuckled, "She's pretty excited to find your ingredients. I wonder why she was so pumped to split up though?"

Serena sighed, she knew for a fact why Bonnie ran away with Clemont. Her attempts to give Ash and Serena some time alone were welcome most of the time, but now Serena was really anxious and nervous about the competition, and she didn't need the added anxiety of being so close to Ash alone. The only thing that could make this worse was…

"Hey, Serena and Ash!"

Serena and Ash turned to find the source of the voice and found Miette standing in front of them, a basket in one hand and a map in the other.

"Miette, what a pleasure." Serena snorted.

"Oh there's no reason to be so coarse, Serena. So, I see that you guys are trying to reach the top of the hills too. I heard from the townsfolk that there are so many rare fruits and berries that are just waiting for us to use up there."

"Yeah, we just can't find how to get up there." Ash replied.

"Well luckily for you, Ash, I have directions to the only point where the cliff face can be safely scaled, would you like to join me?"

Ash turned to Serena, "That sounds awesome right, Serena? C'mon let's go, there's no point in waiting."

Serena nodded weakly._ Why is Miette helping me? Is she trying to impress Ash with how "caring" she is? I see through your ruse, girl, but I'm going to show Ash just how resourceful I am. I'll be able to find my ingredients by myself once we get to the top, because I don't need your "help"._

They followed Miette around until the group reached a dirt path that led up to a collection of ledges that spiraled up towards a ridge on the cliff face. Ash smirked and said, "Looks like we'll have to climb a bit to get your famed berries. Ladies, whaddya say?"

Miette and Serena glanced at each other and said in unison, "Let's go."

Ash watched as the other two began to race each other up the hill, climbing on ledges and vaulting over rocks to get to the top. They were both so concentrated on trying to beat each other, they didn't notice how fast they were climbing. Ash watched as Serena tried to find a handhold, only to pull off a group of rocks that came careening down the cliff. The rocks would have landed on Ash if he hadn't dodged to the side.

"Watch out, Serena, those could have hit me!" Ash yelled at her from below.

Serena chuckled , her cheeks red from embarrassment, "Sorry, Ash, my bad."

Miette laughed and whispered to Serena, "Looks like the relationship between you and Ash is getting a bit rocky eh, Serena."

Serena glared at the other girl, "Why don't you worry about yourself, Miette?"

"Maybe I should, maybe I should stop saying anything to you and start trying to get Ash for myself. That's a great idea, Serena, the first one you've had all day. Besides, why would he want to go for a girl like you?"

Serena grew furious and yelled out, "That's not what I meant!"

Miette just gave her a mocking smirk and continued to climb, quickly reaching the top in front of Serena. Serena grunted and followed suit, vanishing from the sight of Ash at the bottom of the cliff.

"Don't want to keep them waiting right, Pikachu?" Ash asked the Mouse Pokémon.

Pikachu nodded and pushed his trainer forward, staying on Ash's shoulder as he climbed. Once Ash had scaled the cliff, he found that Serena and Miette were both missing. It didn't take me that long to climb up, I wonder where they went. "Hey, Serena, where are you? Miette?" He turned to his yellow friend to ask, "Where do you think they are, Pikachu?"

Pikachu shrugged and responded, "Pika Pi."

"I guess we should go find them then. Let's go, buddy."

Once the two began to walk into the woods, they heard a loud scream echo through the trees. Ash immediately recognized the voice and shouted, "That's Serena! Something's wrong, let's go get her, Pikachu!"

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu responded as he jumped down from Ash's shoulder and began sprinting into the forest.

Ash chased after the pokémon, weaving through the foliage of the trees as he ran. Soon, Ash began to hear the soft whir of beating wings rustling through the branches, and the sound was only getting louder.

* * *

"I'm gonna show her, I'm gonna do this all by myself, and win."

Serena stomped through the forest as she scanned for berries, her brow furrowed with frustration from her recent "conversation" with Miette. Her lip curled up even more as she felt tears forming in her eyes. She wiped away the tears with her hand, and spoke quietly to herself, "Maybe Miette is right about Ash. Maybe I'm just some random girl following him around, not knowing who she really is. Why should he care about what I do?"

She collapsed against a nearby tree and continued to cry, the tears flowing freely through her hands, "I'm nothing. I'm just a nobody to him."

Serena shook her head, "No, Serena, you are something to him. You knew him as a child, and he liked being around you then."

"Yeah, but that was before he learned that I have no plan for the future, that the only reason I'm traveling with my very own pokémon is because he was here in Kalos. I have yet to do anything for myself, only for a guy who may or may not like me in the way that I like him."

"Oh c'mon, Serena. Don't beat yourself up over some stupid things that a girl like Miette says. She's trying to get in your head, and she's succeeding."

"Yeah, because she's right."

"No, she's not. You better get up and find your ingredients. You need to win this competition, because it's the first step to showing Ash that you are a confident, dedicated human being. Do this, and then we'll work on finding something to work on alongside Ash while he pursues the Pokémon League."

Serena was interrupted by a soft object that landed on her head and bounced onto the brim of her hat. She grabbed the object out of her hat, holding it in front of her face to see what exactly it was that she found. In front of her was a pink berry, shaped like an upside down heart. The surface of the berry was covered in a soft fuzz that Serena felt with the tips of her fingers.

"Huh, is this tree a Pecha tree?" Serena looked up to see a multitude of the small fruits hanging from the branches of the tree. She smiled, wild Pecha berries were very rare in Kalos and were highly sought in the markets in Vaniville Town. All she had to do now was reach them, as all the low hanging branches were already picked clean by wild pokémon.

Serena smiled and placed her feet against the tree as she began to lift herself up amongst the lower branches. She climbed higher and higher, until she was just below the lowest hanging Pecha berries. "This is definitely my lucky day," she said as she vaulted over another branch. She attempted to step on a smaller branch, but it snapped easily and she fell, landing feet first on a lower branch. She sighed in relief, the fall could have been bad if that branch wasn't there, but it was nothing compared to what would happen next. The trees around her began to rustle, and she saw gleaming red eyes burst open all around her. The arms of the trees began to move in all directions, and Serena soon realized that she had woken an entire hive of pokémon, and they did not look happy to be woken by her unintentional alarm. She began to rapidly descend as a horde of Beedrill began to swarm around the tree. The bug pokémon found the human who had woken them from their slumber, and began dive for an attack. Serena bobbed and weaved as the Beedrill lunged at her with their stingers.

Once she came close enough to the ground, Serena broke out into a sprint as the Poison Bee Pokémon gave chase, their wings buzzing and reverberating against the trees. Serena cried out in an attempt to call for help from anyone nearby, as she couldn't fight off all the Beedrill herself. As she ran, she smacked into branches and bushes, and covered her face to protect it from the onslaught of pricking leaves and twigs. Unfortunately, she couldn't see the massive cliff face ahead of her and she stumbled over the edge, only to catch herself on a root hanging twenty feet down from the ledge of the cliff. Serena looked down to see how far it was to the bottom. A feeling of vertigo washed over her as she saw the tops of the trees more than thirty more feet down. She clutched the root as tight as possible and yelled out "Someone help me!"

Serena felt the root pull out further from the dirt wall, and she struggled to keep her grip. She clawed into the soft dirt in order to give herself a hold in case the root gave out. She needed get a better hold fast, or she would fall. "Wait, I know. Metapod, I need you now."

Serena pulled out Metapod's Poké ball and released the Cocoon Pokémon. Metapod sat upon the top of the root, watching her trainer struggle against the wall. "Metapod, you need to use your String Shot to tie me against the wall while I wait for help."

Metapod didn't move, but began to shoot strings of sticky web that wrapped around Serena. The web attached Serena to the wall, and she could safely release the root without falling. Serena rubbed off the sweat collecting on her forehead. "Thanks Metapod, you really saved the day," she said. Though Metapod wasn't at her peak form, she still had her uses while she was evolving, and Serena felt lucky to have such a loyal pokémon.

"Serena!" A familiar voice echoed through the trees above her. Serena looked up to see none other than Ash and Pikachu peering over the edge of the cliff.

Serena laughed and shouted, "Ash, am I glad to see you."

"Looks like you're just hanging out instead of finding your ingredients," Ash joked.

Serena sighed, "Very funny, help me up."

"Right give me a sec." Ash reached into his bag and pulled out a coiled line of rope. He wrapped one end of the rope around the trunk of a tree. He threw the other end over the cliff, letting it dangle right next to Serena and Metapod. He tugged the rope to see if it could hold his weight and began to rappel over the side of the cliff, until he heard the sound of buzzing wings in the distance.

"Oh crap, there's Beedrill coming. Hold on for a second Serena. Pikachu, cover me while I get Serena."

Pikachu gave an affirmative "Pikachu!" from above him, and Ash could hear the pokémon charging electricity in his cheek pouches.

Ash continued his descent as Pikachu began to blast Beedrill out of the sky. Groups of the Poison Bee Pokémon tumbled over the cliff, falling into the trees below. Pikachu was definitely giving them a beating, but the constant droning didn't seem to dull at all. That was when Ash heard Pikachu scream as he was pushed off of the cliff by the Beedrill. Ash threw out his arm to catch his partner, and pulled Pikachu tight against his body. Beedrill began to pour down from the cliff, hovering around Ash, Serena and their pokémon.

"Pikachu, keep going, use Thunderbolt."

"Pika?!" Pikachu shook his head. If he used the attack he would definitely shock Ash.

"Do it, Pikachu. Trust me, I'll be fine."

The Beedrill began to dive at Ash as Pikachu launched another powerful bolt of electricity, knocking down a multitude of the flying pokémon . Ash cried out in pain as Pikachu did so, but continued to descend until he was right next to Serena.

"Let's get you out of there Serena." Ash said through a pained smile.

Serena nodded and turned her head to see a Beedrill coming straight for them. "Ash look out!"

The Beedrill barrelled towards them, and quickly dodged Pikachu's electric attacks. The pokémon readied its stingers as it approached, but it stopped as Metapod jumped up and slammed into it. Serena watched in horror as her pokémon fell to its doom, vanishing beneath the trees below.

"Metapod, No!" She shouted. Her eyes watered up as she waited for a response from the pokémon, to no avail. The other Beedrill began to close in, and Pikachu was way too exhausted to keep fighting.

Ash walked along the wall and covered Serena's body with his own, "Don't worry, Serena. I'll protect you as long as I can."

The Beedrill came closer, and Serena shut her eyes, until she heard a crack echo through the forest. She opened her eyes to see a column of white light burst through the trees, blinding the nearby Beedrill, forcing them to scatter.

"What's going on, Ash?"

"I think it's Metapod. I think she's evolving."

Serena watched silently as a form sheathed in white light ascended from the trees, stopping right in front of her. The white light began to fade, revealing the pink, insectoid shape of a Butterfree.

"Butterfree, you did it. You finally evolved." Serena cried.

Butterfree nodded and lifted herself higher into the air. She turned to the disorganized mob of Beedrill, her eyes glowing a bright blue. The Beedrill seemed to be pushed away by some unseen force, and they scattered in every direction, leaving the cliff in utter silence.

"Ash, what was that. What did Butterfree just do?"

"That was Butterfree's Confusion attack. It's really effective against poison types like Beedrill, so they retreated."

"So Butterfree saved us?"

Ash nodded, "Yes, yes she did."

Serena freed her arms and grabbed Ash in a tight hug, a slight tinge of pink appearing on her face. He had saved her once again. _Is there anything Ash isn't willing to sacrifice for me?_

"So what do you say we go and find those ingredients now. Or are you content with hanging here?" Ash said nervously, attempting to pull his hands free from Serena's embrace.

"Hey, are you two alright?" Ash and Serena both looked up to see Miette staring at them. Serena chuckled to herself nervously, the position that her and Ash were in was rather suggestive to an outside viewer. She quickly let go of Ash and responded, "Yeah. We're totally fine."

"I heard you scream, Serena. And I see the piles of fainted Beedrill up here. What happened?"

Ash gave her a wide smile, "We'll just have to tell you when we get back onto land. Could you help us up?"

* * *

"Wow I can't believe that Metapod...er Butterfree evolved." Bonnie said as she skipped in circles around Serena, Butterfree perched on the top of the girl's head. Ash and Serena had met up with Bonnie and Clemont back in the town, and they were anxiously waiting for the results of the contest. Serena and Ash had picked the Pecha berries that Serena had found earlier, and she made an excellent Pecha berry Poké Puff for the judges, or at least she thought she did. Serena twirled the locks of her hair, and the longer she waited, the more nervous she became.

"At least I tried my best right?" Serena asked her friends.

Clemont nodded, "That's all you can ask for, right Ash?"

"That's for sure. You don't know how good you'll be unless you try. I know you'll win this, Serena."

They all quieted down as the announcer made her way to the stage, "Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for waiting. It's been a long day for the four bakers that made it to the finals, and they all made splendid cakes. However, only one of them can win. That winner is…" She made a long pause as she pulled out an envelope and tore it open. Serena crossed her fingers and closed her eyes.

"The winner is Jonah!"

Ash snorted, "Awww man. I really thought Serena would win."

"That's a bummer." Clemont added.

Serena shrugged, "Well, I gave it a try at least. Winning doesn't matter because I have Butterfree now."

Bonnie smiled, "Yeah, and Butterfree is so pretty."

They watched as clouds of confetti rained down on the stage as the winning baker received his trophy and celebrated with his pokémon. The stands began to empty as people filed out of the stadium. Serena saw Miette approaching out of her peripheral and walked over with a smile on her face. Hopefully this mutual loss would knock her down a rung or two.

Miette was the first to speak, "Serena, I just want to say I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

Serena was taken aback by what the other girl said, "Um… yeah it's fine, Miette."

"Hey, we both did great right?"

"Yeah. So where do you plan on going from here, Miette?"

Miette thought for a second, "I dunno, wherever. I might find a way to make my baking even better than before. The possibilities are endless. What about you."

"I'm heading to Shalour City, so Ash can get his next badge and come one step closer to the Pokémon League. As for what I'm gonna do until then, well I don't know."

"Eh you'll figure it out. I'm sure of it. Friends?" Miette extended out her hand.

Serena smiled and shook Miette's hand and said, "Friends. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, but there's one thing I need to say before you go."

"Huh, what is it?"

Miette smirked, "Ash is quite a guy, you should get your big head out of the clouds before some other girl steals him from right under you. Heck, it might even be me."

Serena's face flushed instantly, "Wha...what?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Serena. Bye now!" Miette said as she rushed off in the opposite direction, snickering to herself.

"That girl. She can really get on my nerves." Serena whispered quietly to nobody in particular.

Serena felt a hand fall lightly on her shoulder and she turned around to see Ash standing there with a grin."Hey Serena, what did you and Miette talk about?" he asked.

Serena tried to cover up her reddened face and responded, "Oh nothing, nothing at all. C'mon, let's get a bit farther before dark." She ran out of the stadium followed closely by a giggling Bonnie, still playing with Serena's Butterfree.

Clemont approached Ash and asked, "What was that all about?"

Ash shrugged, "I don't know, and I don't know if I'll ever find out."

Pikachu sighed and shook his head, "Pika pi."

* * *

**Did you like it? I couldn't get some of the ideas in my head down onto the paper, so I spent a very long time on the last half of this chapter. The benefit of me working on other chapters means I can give you some sneak peeks for what's in store. I'm only going to give you one, but trust me it's very tantalizing:**

* * *

"What is this place? Where am I?"

"This is a place far away from worldly needs and desires, where the eternal energy of life collects after it has shed another lifeless husk."

"What exactly does that mean?"

"This place is the end of one 'life', and the beginning of another."

"What? What did you do to me?"  
"We have absorbed your life energy, your aura, into our own. You are us now, and will be until the zoetic world beckons for your return.."

"Who are you?"

"We are death made living, the caretaker of the mortal coil you call home, and we are the scythe that culls the field once it is ready to provide again. We are Yveltal."

* * *

**Spooky. What's going to happen? We'll just have to see, won't we?**

**Thank you to everyone who read this, you're all very awesome and I couldn't do this without you. I will see you in the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11: The Strength of Aura

**I'm back again with yet another chapter for everyone to read (and hopefully love). I know there has been a huge wait for this chapter, but let me tell you that this chapter took so much time to make, and it's the longest chapter I've made to date. I hope you like it.**

**WARNING: Reader discretion is advised, this chapter contains some graphic and gruesome content not suitable for some readers.**

**Chapter 11: The Strength of Aura**

* * *

The truck veered around the corner, its tires screeching against the winding, dirt road. The massive backend tilted, nearly toppling the vehicle over, but the truck righted itself again and kept its hasteful pace. Little did the driver and his passenger know, they road ahead hid a deadly trap, one that they were heading right into. Along the road in front of the truck was a set of explosive charges, meant to stop the truck without destroying any of its cargo. The man who set the charges kneeled in the underbrush, smiling to himself as he watched the truck come ever closer. He pulled out a device and twirled it around his finger using the keychain it was connected to. "Heh, Draven you've done it again. Let's hope they're ready for the fireworks," he muttered under his breath.

Draven thumbed the button and pressed it down firmly as the truck rolled over his trap. The explosives detonated, creating a massive shockwave that lifted the bed of the truck up into the air and over the cab. The entire vehicle flipped over and rolled for a couple hundred feet before stopping against a tree. Draven jumped up and slid down the hill he was perched on, unholstering the suppressed handgun against his hip. As he approached, he watched as two men crawled out of the flipped vehicle. Both men were wearing matching outfits, all black with a small red "R" on the left breast of their bulletproof vests. Draven chuckled, it wasn't like Team Rocket to armor their grunts, even on the most dangerous missions, so this cargo must have been very important to them, enough to warrant the best equipment they could manage. No wonder the people who hired him were paying him a premium sum to retrieve it. Not that he really needed the extra money to accept the job anyway, he just really enjoyed messing up all of Team Rocket's plans. Their leader, the shadowy figure known as Giovanni, didn't care about furthering anything but his own ambitions. Team Rocket would betray without hesitation, they would blatantly lie, and they would slaughter innocent lives to advance their own stupid goals of "world domination" or something of the like. If it wasn't for Team Rocket his mother would still be alive, and he wouldn't have spent most his childhood committing crime just to support his younger brother, his only family that he had left. Draven knew he had to make some tough choices in the past, but he wouldn't have been in the position to make those choices if it wasn't for the actions of a dumb teenager, a Rocket recruit, with a gun. His mother had taught him virtue and valor, two traits that were not found in the institutions of Team Rocket. He would wipe them from existence, any way he could. Then he could finally live his life in peace, with the aid of his stashed millions of course. Being a professional criminal did have its benefits after all.

He approached the driver at a brisk walking pace, puffing up his chest as he walked. The injured man's eyes widened as he saw Draven approaching, and he tried to crawl away, dragging a trail of crimson blood behind him. The Team Rocket grunt obviously had a broken leg, or two, which saved Draven the hassle of chasing the man down. Draven stepped on the man's back and readied his gun, firing a single shot into the back of the man's head without remorse. The man twitched once and stopped moving, streams of blood oozing out of the hole in his head. Draven ambled over to the other side of the cab, to witness the other man sitting on the ground, leaning against the wreckage of the truck. He was in worse shape than the driver, as he had pieces of glass from the windshield wedged in his body. He was choking up his own blood, most likely a punctured lung, and he struggled to say, "Please help." Draven shook his head and readied his gun once more, pointing the barrel directly between the man's eyes. The grunt shouted, "No! STOP!" before Draven silenced him. The man slumped over, and Draven grabbed the keys to the cargo bay off of his belt. He flashed a grin and chuckled again, over time he had grown accustomed to the act of ending human life, seeing the light leave a man's eyes as he took his dying breath. To be honest, he rather enjoyed it now. It was thrilling, a pure adrenaline rush. The face of death brought out a man's true nature. This man was the one type he hated more than anything, the man who would beg for his life, and pray to his personal favorite deity. That was no dignified way to die, he was just doing himself a disservice.

It took a little effort to get the key into the smashed up lock of the cargo bed, and the doors squealed as Draven forced them open. The bay was very dark, and nearly empty, except for a single cage strapped to what would have been the floor of the bed. The only problem was that the cage was open...and empty? Why the hell was he sent for an empty cage? In Draven's peripheral, he saw a blue shape dash at him. He tried to dodge, but the object rammed into him at full force, launching him back against the side of the cargo bed, before heading out of the open door. Draven grunted and lifted himself back up, his ears ringing from the collision. He ran outside to see his contract, a pokémon, running away as fast as it could. Draven reached to his belt and pulled out two Poké balls. "Mightyena, Houndoom, come out."

The two canine pokémon appeared out of the ball and turned back to their trainer, waiting for his command. These pokémon were his oldest friends, going back to right after his mother died, while he was living in Saffron City. He had snuck into an alley after stealing a woman's wallet only to find a young Poochyena and Houndour cowering behind a trash can. They were extremely thin, it looked like they hadn't ate a proper meal in weeks, and they tried to hide from young Draven as he approached. Once he finally earned their trust, Draven used the money he stole to buy them enough food for them to gorge themselves, leaving himself to go without food for the day. From that day forward, both pokémon were fiercely loyal, and they would do anything for the man who saved their lives.

Draven shook his head, now was not the time to get sentimental, he needed to finish what he started. He barked out to Houndoom and Mightyena, "Both of you, go and retrieve that pokémon and bring it back to me. I need it alive, so don't hurt it... too badly."

The pokémon nodded in affirmation and ran off into the trees after their target. Draven watched them head off before continuing to clean up the mess he made. The police would no doubt want everything from the crime scene during their investigation, so he picked up the shell casings and picked the bullets clean from the two bodies. After he had finished his clean up, he found a log to sit on, some distance away from the wreck and pulled out a cigar and a lighter from his breast pocket. He lit the cigar and took a long drag, exhaling slowly to watch the wisps of smoke dissipate into the wind. This job was getting a lot more complicated, now that he had to retrieve living cargo, and a pokémon nonetheless. He shrugged, it was no matter, this job was a cake walk, and he always got the job done...always. He took another puff of the cigar and sat himself down on the log, waiting for the eventual return of his pokémon.

* * *

"How much farther do we have to go, Clemont? How do you know this place even exists?"

"C'mon, Bonnie, it's a very scientifically intriguing landmark, I just have to see what all the fuss is about."

Serena giggled, Clemont and Bonnie were always bickering about something, whether it be where to go next or just what to eat for dinner, but Bonnie always had a trick up her sleeve that she would pull out to "win an argument" as she called it. As to what she was winning here, Serena didn't know, but it was gonna be very interesting to watch. She turned to Ash, who stifled a laugh and mouthed, "Here it comes." to her.

Bonnie puffed her cheeks out and mumbled, "You're ready to go out of your way to see this stuff, but you won't go out of your way to find a pretty girl to go on a date with you."

Clemont's face flushed and he shouted out, "Bonnie we weren't even talking about that! Why do you have to bring this up every time?!"

Ash couldn't take it and he roared with laughter, causing the siblings to jump. "You two never fail to crack me up. Bonnie, why do you have to always torment your brother?" he tried to ask while laughing.

"It's because he wouldn't be able to do anything without me. I'd be a lot easier on him if he actually tried. It's not like he's found the perfect person for him and he's just hasn't been able to say anything to them yet, right, Serena?" Bonnie flashed Serena an impish grin. Serena shook her head, why was Bonnie pulling her into this as well?

"I told you before, I don't need you to find a girl for me. I can find a girlfriend all on my own!" Clemont shouted, completely ignoring Bonnie's comment to Serena.

Ash laughed again, "Don't worry, Clemont, I'm sure it's just what little sisters are for. Where did you say this place was again?"

Clemont grinned and pushed his glasses up on his face, causing them to gleam in the sunlight, "According to my expert calculations, it should be just up ahead."

"Expert calculations, you just read it in a book last night," Bonnie joked.

"Hey, you wouldn't have thought of it."

* * *

As the group continued walking, the treeline cut abruptly, leading them into a wide, circular clearing. At the center of the clearing was a massive stone monument rising twenty feet into the air. The stone pillar seemed normal enough, but once they came closer, everyone felt weirdly unsettled by its presence. Ash felt a strange feeling in his body, as if all of his energy in his legs was draining, and a sense of dread loomed in his thoughts. He felt compelled to approach the obelisk, and he slowly walked forward. The others watched him shuffle towards the obelisk in silence, until Serena asked, "Ash, what are you doing?"

Ash shook his head, "I don't know," he said. He felt as though he was sprinting with every step, and the feeling just got stronger as he walked forward. As he came closer to the pillar, his throat began to dry and he heard a soft whimper echo through his ears. He looked back up at Pikachu and asked, "Did you hear that, buddy?"

Pikachu nodded, he had heard the sound too, but it hadn't come from anywhere around him. It was almost as if the sound came from within his mind. Ash and Pikachu continued forward, and they both felt a sharp pain in their side, as if some unseen force was biting into them. Pikachu cried out in pain, and he tried to ward off the attacker by firing a bolt of electricity that arced in all directions. One bolt struck Ash, causing him to double over in pain. Pikachu shouted out, he felt as if he was the one struck by the bolt instead of Ash, and he fell off of his trainer's shoulder, writhing in pain.

Serena watched the entire scene unfold and shouted, "Ash, Pikachu! Are you two okay?"

Ash grunted, "Yeah, we're good." He managed to lift himself off the ground, and he picked up Pikachu in his arms, holding the Mouse Pokémon tightly against his chest. The weird energy of this strange place had hurt both of them somehow, but Pikachu's retaliation shouldn't have hurt the pokémon. It was like he and Pikachu were experiencing the same emotions and reactions, and they were only getting stronger. They weren't in danger, Ash knew that, but he felt as if there was something chasing him. As he came closer to the pillar, the feeling intensified dramatically, until Ash's heart began to beat rapidly in his chest. A bead of sweat dripped down from his forehead, and he brushed it away before reaching out to touch the pillar. Ash placed a hand on the smooth stone of the obelisk and felt a sudden gust of energy rush through him. It was almost as if the flow of energy conveyed a cryptic messages, and a bunch of images drifted through his mind. He saw three stones of great power sitting on illuminated pedestals in an otherwise pitch black cave. The image shifted, and he saw as the spire in front of him seemed to open up, revealing that it was actually more of a hollow tube connecting the surface with a large cave complex under Ash's feet. Ash fell backwards, and the message stopped abruptly. He shook his head and whispered to himself, "What happened? What is this place?"

"Okay, this is getting real strange, Clemont. We should probably leave," Bonnie suggested.

"No, this could be my only chance to study this place and figure out its true purpose."

"Yeah, but it's doing something to Ash! Something is real wrong here!" Serena shouted.

"You're right, but why isn't it affecting us? Why does this only affect Ash?"

"I don't know what you're trying to say, and I'm not staying around to figure it out. I'm gonna go get Ash and leave." Serena said.

As Serena reached out to grab Ash, both he and Pikachu began to panic and fall to the ground, as if they were being attacked by some unseen force. As Ash and Pikachu stopped squirming, she kneeled down next to them and asked, "Ash, what's going on?"

"I don't know, I just felt like I was being bit by something and I had to get out of its clutches. I had to find help.." Ash turned to Serena to give her a reassuring smile, but behind her he saw a single pokémon jump out of the trees and stumble to the ground. This pokémon was light blue in color with black markings on its face, chest, and arms, with a yellow collar around its neck. Its body was shaped like that of a small dog, and its fur was matted with fresh blood. Ash took a closer look to see that its torso and arms were covered with scratches and bite marks.

The pokémon, a Riolu, struggled to open its eyelids, and it stared at Ash with blood red eyes. Ash stared back at the pokémon, feeling a strange connection to the Riolu, almost as if he could feel its pain, until the Emanation Pokémon "spoke". "_Help me,_" it said.

Ash was startled by the voice and asked, "What happened? How can you talk to me?"

"_There's no time to explain right now. There are two __p__okémon chasing me. Please. I can't run anymore."_

Ash tried to lift himself up off of the ground, but his proximity to the weakened pokémon seemed to sap away all of his strength. He was too sore to get up, he was too sore to even move. Ash looked to Pikachu for help, but his partner was just as worn out. They were absolutely unable to help, no matter how hard they tried.

"I...I can't move. I'm too tired."

"_It's too late, they're here._"

The trees behind the mysterious Riolu began to rustle violently, and two pokémon jumped out, barking wildly at their prey. The left one, a Houndoom, stepped forward and launched a hot stream of fire at the injured pokémon. Ash used all of the energy he had left to jump in front of the pokémon, bracing himself for the impact of the powerful fire attack.

"Go, Lucario!"

Another pokémon, one that looked like a larger, more developed version of the injured Riolu behind Ash, jumped right in front of the intensely hot Flamethrower, twirling a staff of energy shaped like a bone. The pokémon dissipated the licking flames and readied itself for another attack, its makeshift staff vanishing into thin air. Its trainer, a blonde woman in a white dress with red trim and matching helmet, stepped up next to Ash and shouted, "Lucario, Bone Rush again."

The canine pokémon dashed forward at blinding speed, creating another bone staff in its hand. It whacked the the Houndoom hard with the staff, sending the Dark Pokémon reeling back. The other assailant, a Mightyena, jumped forward and attempted to bite Lucario, but the pokémon was just too fast, and it easily dodged out of the way.

"Now use Power-Up Punch!"

Lucario lunged forward and smashed its fist into the Bite Pokémon, striking it against the snout. The Mightyena rolled backward and sprinted forward, slamming its body into Lucario. The attack definitely hurt Lucario, but the Aura Pokémon used Mightyena's weight against it and spun the other pokémon around, throwing it back towards its partner. The two pokémon collided with a crack. Both canine pokémon howled out as loud as they could, visually enraged by the pokémon they were currently facing. They both lunged at the Lucario, colliding with the pokémon at the same time, launching it back towards its trainer.

The Lucario's unknown trainer shouted out, "We need your help, Grandpa."

Ash watched as yet another Lucario, this one larger and older than the other, jumped into action, followed by an aging, bald man. The man shouted out, "Lucario, use Extreme Speed."

The second Lucario seemed to teleport around the field, striking a multitude of punches against the two opposing pokémon before jumping back in front of its trainer. The veteran pokémon readied itself for a counter-attack. Both Mightyena and Houndoom rushed forward, attempting to hit the Lucario at the same time. As they reared in preparation for the attack, Lucario vanished again, appearing again behind the two pokémon.

"We've got them now, use Aura Sphere," the older man commanded.

The Lucario charged a sphere of blue energy, launching it at its opponents. The ball collided with the Houndoom and exploded, knocking it on its back. The Mightyena jumped forward again, brandishing its massive fangs. Before it could hit, the other Lucario slammed into the Dark Pokémon. Houndoom and Mightyena knew they were completely outmatched by the two Lucario, and they lifted themselves off of the ground and dashed off back into the trees. Ash smiled and attempted to lift himself on his feet, but he stumbled over again and passed out from his sheer exhaustion.

* * *

"Ash, are you alright?"

Ash opened his eyelids to see Serena standing over him. He met her sky blue eyes and felt a strange feeling, a fluttering, in his stomach. He smiled and said, "Nice to see you."

Serena sighed, "You sure like to sleep a lot, do you think you have narcolepsy?"

Ash laughed and sat up. The phantom pain from earlier had completely melted away, and he felt great. He looked around to see that they had made camp back in the treeline, outside the radius of that strange pillar they saw earlier. Pikachu jumped into his arms and hugged his trainer tightly.

"You and Pikachu acted quite strange earlier, are you both alright?" Serena asked.

The old man from before interjected, "He should be completely fine now, we're out of the place of power." He reached to Ash and pulled him back up onto his feet. "You should consider yourself a very lucky young man," he said.

"Why do you say that? Was something going to happen if I stayed there?" Ash asked.

The old man didn't say anything, but instead pointed at the Riolu from before. This time, the pokémon was peacefully resting on a cot, its cuts and bites all bandaged up. Bonnie and Clemont were both sitting next the the pokémon, tending to its wounds.

"No it's not because of that. It's amazing that you are bonded to such a strong and loyal pokémon. You really do have a special gift."

"Bonded? Gift? Are you talking about Pikachu?" Ash was confused as to this man's enigmatic speech.

"No, not Pikachu. It's the Riolu."

"What? What do you mean?"

The blonde woman was the next to speak, "I'm sorry about this, my Grandpa Gurkinn can be really confusing sometimes. I'm Korrina by the way, nice to meet you." She extended a hand out to Ash.

"I'm Ash Ketchum." Ash responded as he shook her hand. "Thank you for what you did back there."

"Don't thank me, thank my Lucario. Lucario sensed your Aura, he knew you were in trouble."

"Well, I'm glad you guys came to help. I don't know if we could have saved Riolu on our own.."

Serena took the time to ask, "Aura? What do you mean that Lucario sensed our Aura?"

Gurkinn interrupted again, "I can answer that question much better than my granddaughter can. You see, Serena, every living being has a mysterious energy that emanates from their body. Each pokémon and human being has their own unique Aura, completely different from every other creature on the planet, much like a fingerprint. While a living organism's Aura is individualized, there are patterns that emerge, especially between different types of pokémon. Take Ash's partner, Pikachu, for example. Pikachu is an electric type, so he has an Aura similar to that of other electric types, but he also shares elements with his trainer. It is obvious that they share an incredible bond, one that has only cemented in their Auras."

"So is that why they were acting so strange earlier."

Gurkinn shook his head, "It enabled their actions, but it wasn't a direct cause of it. That was a result of the ambient power present around that clearing, and of the situation that the Riolu had been in as it came within the boundary of that obelisk. You see, I have been studying that place with my Lucario since I was a young man. The area distorts ambient Aura around it and transfers emotions and feelings between Aura-bonded entities. I knew right away that Ash was special, because he, Riolu, and Pikachu are completely bonded in Aura, to point that very few humans have or will ever reach. Not even Lucario and I are bonded like this, even though we have unlocked the secrets of Mega Evolution together."

"Lucario can Mega Evolve?"

"Of course. It is the first pokémon that discovered the ability to do such. A sufficiently strong and bonded Lucario can draw great power from its mega stone, Lucarionite."

Ash scratched his head, there were still some things that he didn't quite understand, and he asked, "Well going back to what you said earlier, how is it that Riolu and I can be bound by Aura if we've never met until now?"

Gurkinn smiled, "That's the most intriguing part. A bonded Riolu is the strongest of its species, and they possess the power to speak through their Aura. The bond opens on the birth of the Riolu, whether or not it knows its bondmate. The kicker is, the bond only activates if the trainer that it bonds to holds the potential to control their own Aura, a special power only held by pokémon and certain humans. This means that you, Ash, have the ability to manipulate your Aura, much like a Lucario can."

Everyone expected Ash to be incredibly surprised by Gurkinn's statement, but Ash simply shrugged and said, "Yeah, I know I can do that. I've been able to use it before."

Serena stared at him, mouth agape, and said, "What? How did you know this already?"

Ash chuckled, "Let's just say I was about to sacrifice myself to save a very important pokémon ecosystem some time ago."

"The Tree of Beginning?" Gurkinn asked.

"Yes, actually. How did you know?" Ash responded.

"Lucario and I have been together for a very long time, Ash. He could feel the disturbance, that the Tree created when it was in trouble. He has found a way to communicate what he was sensing to me, though not to the point of being able to speak through his Aura like your Riolu. You must tell me the story about the crisis at the Tree of Beginning."

"It's a long story, are you sure you want to hear all of it?"

"We have time don't we? Riolu is resting for the time being. He was very injured when we came." Gurkinn asked.

"Yeah, Ash, please tell the story all the way through!" Serena added.

"Well it started some time ago, when me and my friends were traveling back in Kanto after my unsuccessful try at winning the Ever Grande Conference in Hoenn. We decided to visit the Cameran Palace in Rota for a festival and pokémon tournament in honor of Sir Aaron, who boldly sacrificed himself for the city during a massive war. After I won the tournament, the townsfolk invited us all to an extravagant ball, where I accidentally released the Lucario owned by Sir Aaron, trapped for centuries in Sir Aaron's staff. The Lucario thought I was Sir Aaron at first, since my Aura was so much like his, and it threatened me before fleeing. It seemed to believe that Sir Aaron had betrayed the castle during a great battle, trapping Lucario in the staff before flying away on his Pidgeot. While we were with Lucario, I learned that the wild Mew who lived in the Tree kidnapped Pikachu. I knew I needed to go and rescue Pikachu, and, with the help of Sir Aaron's Lucario, my group made our way to the Tree of Beginning."  
"Wow, so you actually went into the Tree of Beginning. That's amazing. Please go on." Gurkinn urged.

"Well we didn't willingly go into the Tree. It turned out to be a very dangerous place for humans, and we were immediately attacked by the Tree's defense system, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. While escaping from the Regis, the tree began to send what I can only describe as white blood cells in an attempt to get rid of the human presence in its system. The cells engulfed my friends, dragging them within the tree itself while Lucario and I ran to save Pikachu. Shortly after I reunited with Pikachu, I too was taken by the white blood cells, but I was saved thanks to the efforts of Mew. However, this made the Mew and the Tree very ill, and the entire structure began to collapse. We raced to the Tree's heart, where we found the remains of Sir Aaron, embedded within the crystal. We learned that Sir Aaron had sacrificed himself to stop the opposing armies from clashing, and died in the process."

"So he did make the ultimate sacrifice after all. Lucario was wrong." Bonnie said.

"Ssh, I want to hear the rest of the story, Bonnie." Clemont interjected.

"We were running out of time, we had to think of something to save Mew and the Tree. Lucario began to drain its Aura and give it to Mew. If Sir Aaron could save the Tree centuries ago, so could his Lucario, or so we thought. Lucario wasn't strong enough to finish the job though, and it quickly tired out. But it wasn't alone, I still had the ability to manipulate my Aura, so I grabbed Sir Aaron's gloves and began to siphon my Aura into Mew alongside Lucario. Together we fed our collective Aura into Mew, preparing to sacrifice ourselves for the Tree just like Sir Aaron had. At the last second, Lucario pushed me away and expended all of its life energy to save the Tree. I watched as the Lucario fell back, hitting a time flower, granting us a vision of the last few seconds of Sir Aaron's life. There we learned that Sir Aaron had protected the Tree during the battle centuries ago, and he wished that he could have told the truth to Lucario, but he didn't want his friend to sacrifice itself for him so he sealed it in the staff, to protect it. I sat there with Lucario, consoling it as the remainder of its Aura drained from its body. It died there, in my arms, but it had saved the Tree of Beginning and all of my friends."

"Wow, that's so sad," Serena said.

Gurkinn nodded, "Quite a story, Ash. It's amazing that your Aura is so much like Sir Aaron's own, and no doubt that you and Riolu will be great partners."

"Partners? I just met Riolu."

"Yes, you two are bonded in your Auras, it would be a bad idea not to travel together. You could both learn so much together. You two will become stronger than ever before, and you just might learn how to manipulate your Aura further."

Ash looked over to the sleeping Riolu, "It just depends on if Riolu wants to join me. I won't force him."

"We'll just have to see when he wakes up."

* * *

Draven opened his eyes as he heard the bushes in front of him rustle. He smiled to himself, "There they are, right on time."

Out of the bushes, Houndoom and Mightyena stumbled forward licking the wounds on their bodies. They both walked up to Draven and fell over, too exhausted to stand up. Draven's cigar nearly fell out of his mouth as he rushed forward to check on his pokémon.

"What happened to you two?" Draven asked the two wounded pokémon. He pulled out his two Poké balls and recalled the injured pokémon. "Those wounds can't have been from the Riolu. Shit, something is wrong." Draven reached into his pocket and pulled out a small satellite phone and dialed in a number, holding the phone up to his ear.

The device ringed a couple times before a male voice answered, "Yes, Draven, what is it?"

"It's about that special package you wanted."

"Yes, what about it?"

"First of all, you never told me it was a pokémon. It would have been much easier if you had told me the truth about what I was looking for."

"That detail was inconsequential. I didn't think you needed to know about it."

"It would have helped to know they were carrying live cargo, the target managed to escape once I stopped the truck."

The voice responded aggressively, "What? You lost the Riolu?"

"No, not from it trying to escape, I sent my two strongest pokémon after it. However, on their return, they were seriously injured. Somebody helped the Riolu, to be sure."

"You better get that Riolu for us, no matter what. We're making a huge risk attacking Team Rocket. If they knew who contracted you, there could be some serious ramifications, one that would cost a lot of lives and money."

"Why is this Riolu so important to you? Why feel the need to steal from Team Rocket?" Draven asked.

"Hmm...I thought you would appreciate messing up Team Rocket's plans, especially with their history."

Draven grit his teeth. He never liked dealing with "clients", especially ones that did their research before hiring him. He found that the only bad thing about being a good hitman was the notoriety, as ne'er do wells always wanted to work with the "famous Draven". Unfortunately this meant that his past was wide open to many, and they would try to use that to gain leverage. Some of them had even tried to dock his pay by bringing his family into the mix, for some odd reason. This client was promising a lot more money, to be sure, but he was getting rather annoyed with how smart this man thought he was because he knew something about Draven's past, something that was well known amongst men with illegal professions. He heard the man chuckle to himself as he asked,"You didn't answer my first question. Why do you need the Riolu?"

The man stopped laughing and cleared his throat, "All I can say is that that Riolu is important to our plans. Get it to us and you'll get the second half of your payment. Got it?"

Draven sighed, "Loud and clear."

"Good. Xerosic out."

Draven pocketed the satellite phone and pulled the cigar out of his mouth. The once long cylinder was now just a smoldering stub. He threw the butt to the ground and stomped the embers out before burying it against a tree. "It's time to put matters into my own hands, better go find that Riolu." he said as he began to slowly walk in the direction his Houndoom and Mightyena came from.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set on the western horizon, bathing the forest in a vibrant red that reflected off of the trees. Ash sat next to the Riolu, watching the Emanation Pokémon as it slept. He had just recently changed some of the bandages around Riolu's body, and the bites he sustained were healing incredibly quick. Ash and Gurkinn had been talking for hours about Gurkinn's history with his Lucario. Though Gurkinn himself could not manipulate his Aura, he had become a guru in the ways of Mega Evolution. Apparently his ancestors were the first people to unlock the secret to Mega Evolution, one that was only shared to those who were deemed worthy enough to know. The reason that he and Korrina were currently here was for that exact reason. Korrina had completed her training and was now ready to find a piece of Lucarionite so that she may mega evolve her own Lucario. The only place where Gurkinn knew to find the stone was in the cave under the stone pillar they found earlier, as that was where he and his father before him had found theirs.

"So that's what I saw before." Ash muttered to himself.

"Hmm?"

"When I touched that obelisk before, it gave me a vision of the tunnels underneath the ground, and showed me three stones lying somewhere inside."

"Three stones, huh? Were they all the same?"

"No, they were all different. One of them was like the Key Stone that Professor Sycamore showed me back in Lumiose. The second one was like the one in your Lucario's armband. The last one was different, where the helix in the stone was red and yellow, like a raging fire."

"Intriguing, we'll just have to see when you make your descent."

"Descent? Am I going down into the caves with Korrina."

"Of course, these stones have called to you, and you must answer. But that's a matter for tomorrow, it is getting dark, and I heard your friend Clemont is quite a cook."

"You heard right, my big brother is the best cook, he'd make a great husband, don't you think Korrina?" Bonnie asked, with a sly smirk.

"Bonnie! Stop doing what it is you're trying to do!" Clemont yelled as he grabbed bonnie by the collar and pulled her off, his face a deep red. "It's so embarrassing every time you do this."

Korrina scratched her head and asked, "What just happened between those two?"

Serena giggled, "I just wouldn't worry about it, Korrina, honestly."

* * *

Draven tiptoed his way through the forest, each step barely making a sound as he moved. The sky was darkening, and he would be a lot harder to spot once the sun completely set. The people who had helped his contract wouldn't even know he was there, if he remained quiet enough. But, that which helped him would make his target that much easier to track. He smiled as he found what he was looking for: a lively, orange glow coming from the distance. No doubt the protectors wanted a warm meal in their stomach before they were off to sleep. Little did they know they were being hunted.

He came ever closer, taking care to not make too much noise, lest he made his prey aware of his presence. He stood on the outskirts of the camp, just beyond the veil of light made by the central fire. There were a good number of them, too many for him to easily take what he needed and leave without being caught. Around the fire he saw four bodies, an old man and what looked to be his granddaughter, a woman of about twenty, both with light blonde hair. The other two looked to be siblings, a small girl and her teenaged, bespectacled brother. both blonde as well. Draven searched around the camp some more, looking around for the Riolu he desired, until he found it. What he saw next troubled him the most.

Sitting next to the Riolu away from the fire were the two young people he met some time ago, Ash and Serena. It was back some time ago, on his journey to the sunken ship to complete yet another contract. The job he did on the _Cussler_ was supposed to give him some great treasure to keep, but all he found was a single large, amber-colored gem encasing a red and blue helix, one that his contractor paid well for, enough to make him accept a second offer. When he came to the surface, he dealt with his "crew", a group of Team Rocket thugs sent to kill him and take the gem for their gang. For some reason, Team Rocket was attempting to start an operation within Kalos, one that his contractor was all too eager to stop. Ash and Serena were unknowingly falling further into a war between two fierce factions, and they already had their first taste of the blood that was yet to spill when they interrupted Draven as he was searching for the gem. He was surprised to see that the boy survived, and was in good was no doubt that his Sharpedo had inflicted some grievous wounds, before getting a sharpened pipe shoved into its mouth. His pokémon was still healing from the battle, but this boy looked completely fine, as if he was never attacked at all. Draven sighed, he deeply regretted attacking Ash and his little girlfriend, but he could not let them interfere in his duty. Yet here they were, interfering once more, preventing him from completing his mission. Obviously violence was not the answer to his problem, Draven didn't want to harm the innocent any more than he was forced to, but he had to find a way to take that Riolu from them.

From his pocket, Draven pulled out a small device, the size of a coin. This was a GPS tracker, it would allow him to follow the group without keeping them in eyesight. He would have to take a risk and place it somewhere on the group, somewhere they wouldn't see it. He crouched behind a bush and waited for them to fall asleep, the roaring fire merely more than warm embers. Draven snuck up into the camp, strategically placing each step so that the most sound made was that of the muffled crunching of dead grass. As he approached he saw his prize sprawled out on a tree stump. It would be so easy to take it, but he didn't have the tools to escape should everyone be alerted to his next to it, acting as a lone guardian, was the boy, Ash. Draven skirted around, searching for anything he could place the tracker on, until he heard a rustling from one of the tents.

Draven rushed behind a nearby tree, moving as silently as a ghost. He turned his head to look at the girl, Serena, walking out of the tent in her pajamas. She carried a dark pink backpack with her, and pulled out a blanket and draped it around Ash.

The soft touch of the blanket rose Ash from his slumber, and he looked up to see Serena standing over him. "Thanks for the blanket, Serena," he said.

"No problem, Ash. Still, why don't you go into your tent, where it's warm?"

"I'm fine, Serena, I'm just here to make sure Riolu is alright."

"Look at you. Well if you stay out here, I'll stay out here too."

"Why? Why wouldn't you want to sleep in your tent?"

"You need company, don't you? You don't want to be all alone out here."

"Fine, here, take some of the blanket at least."

Ash held out an end of the sheet, and Serena took it in her hand, wrapping herself in it as she sat down on the grass next to Ash. They both sat together in silence, watching the sleeping Riolu until the weight of their eyelids pulled their eyes closed, and they nodded off into the clutches of a deep slumber.

Draven sat and waited for them to fall asleep, now was his window of opportunity. He pulled out the tracker and crept forward, until he was an arms length away from the sleeping teens. He reached down and carefully opened the lowest zipper on Serena's backpack, sliding the tracker deep into the pocket. He stopped dead in his tracks as the girl stirred and scooted closer to Ash, wrapping the blanket tighter around her before falling asleep again. Draven wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead and quietly dashed away back into the treeline. Once he was safely out of eyesight, he pulled out a small device from his pocket and turned it on. The bright blue screen flickering to life, showing only a green triangle, his position on the map. Draven pressed a series of buttons, and a small, blinking, red dot appeared on the screen a small distance away from the green triangle.

"Looks like the tracker is working. At least something has gone right today," Draven whispered to himself.

He climbed up a nearby tree and strapped himself to one of the sturdier branches, before leaning back against the thick trunk. He had no plan to capture that Riolu at the moment, so he would follow the group for the moment waiting for the perfect opportunity. If there was something he was good at, it was being patient, and he would wait for the right time to strike. Sure his contractor wouldn't be too happy, but no doubt they had too much on their plate to worry about a single pokémon and the highly paid contractor sent to retrieve it. Draven chuckled, he might just be saving his employer money after all, they probably wouldn't miss him too bad, especially with how much his services cost. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest, letting the ambient sound lull him to sleep.

* * *

"C'mon, wake up sleepyheads!"

Ash opened his eyes to see Bonnie standing over him. He felt a weight on his shoulder and looked down to see golden locks of honey hair dangling over his arm. He brushed them back to see Serena's eyes slowly open, her sapphire eyes lying upon his own. As Ash and Serena realized what position they were currently sitting in, they both recoiled, and scooted away from each other, faces red as a rose..

"Ahem. Ash was just waiting with Riolu throughout the night, and I decided to keep him company." Serena stammered.

"Yeah, and we just lost track of time I guess. You can never tell what you're doing when you're sleeping," Ash added

"Hehe! Sure, I believe you," Bonnie said with a smirk.

Ash looked at the stump, only to find that it was empty, and asked, "Where is Riolu, Bonnie?"

"He's over by Clemont, Korrina, and Gurkinn. Get dressed, both of you, Clemont's making breakfast." Bonnie began to walk away, but turned around and smirked once more, "But don't get dressed together, okay?"

Serena's eyes widened, _Was Bonnie really insinuating what I think she was? _She ran off into her tent and zipped the flap closed, her blush only increasing in intensity.

Ash tilted his head, he was confused as to what Bonnie meant by saying that. He decided not to think about it, only with what today meant. First he needed to talk to Riolu, to see if he was okay. Ash quickly threw on his traveling clothes, and made his way to the smoldering campfire, where Clemont was busy preparing food. Ash looked around to see Gurkinn, Korrina, and Pikachu sitting on a log, talking to the now conscious Riolu. Ash was excited to say the least, and he quickly walked over to them.

The Riolu watched as he approached, his red eyes following Ash as he sat down. Ash cleared his throat and said, "I see that you're feeling better."

Riolu nodded, "_Yes, I am. Thank you very much for what you have done for me._"

"I didn't do much though. It was all Gurkinn and Korrina."

"_While it is true that they fought off those fiends, they weren't the ones willing to risk their lives for someone they had just met. You were willing to die so that I may go unharmed, and you waited all night with me as I healed. I find that something to be thankful for."_

"Well you're welcome then, I guess."

"_Tell me, Ash, Gurkinn has been talking to you about our special… predicament... right?_

"Yes, he told me all about it. What else do you know about it?"

"_None more than you do. Gurkinn had caught me up while you were still sleeping alongside your 'friend' Serena."_

"I guess I did sleep in a little."

"_You and her seem rather close, if I may add, but that conversation is for a later time. Now we must talk about the vision you had back at that clearing. I hear that you and Korrina are planning to go into the caves under that obelisk."_

"Yes, we are going, there were some things that I wanted to find in those caves, stones buried beneath the rock."

"_Mega Stones nonetheless, I do wish to join you on this adventure, to help you find that which you seek."_

"You seem to be pretty educated on this matter, how much do you know about Mega Evolution?"

"_Only a bit. I only know the information I read from books. I have learned a lot within my past seventeen years."_

"Seventeen years? You seem pretty old for a Riolu."

"_Don't take my stature for granted, most of my kind stays as a Riolu for their entire life because of our peculiar way of evolution. We only can evolve with the aid of a trainer. Once we have been together with them for long enough, our Aura links together, allowing a Riolu to draw great power from their trainer, giving them the ability to evolve into a Lucario. When I was a young pup, I always dreamt of becoming a powerful Lucario, but my captors were never ones for bonding with their prisoners, and most of my life I had never had a good ally to rely on, except for myself. So, I dove into training my mind on top of the rigorous physical training I had to endure., finding more books to enhance my knowledge."_

"You said that you were in captivity, when did that happen?"

"_I was taken by Team Rocket at a very early age and used as an experiment for their nefarious deeds. Long has their leader, Giovanni, been searching for a tool to be used in conquering the world, and I was just another one of his toys. Due to my bond with you, I was stronger, faster, and smarter than most Riolu, and he tried to train me to become the ultimate weapon."_

"What happened with that?"

"_My project was scrapped no more than seven years ago, when Giovanni made a new toy, a clone of the legendary pokémon Mew. All the technology they had been developing for me was used for this clone instead, but it all blew up in their faces in the end. I managed to escape due to the destruction the clone caused, and I fled to the Kalos region. I've lived here for years, hiding from the prying eyes of Team Rocket, until they finally found me less than a month ago. I was no match for the twenty grunts they send after me all at once, and I was soon captured again. While I was being transported to a nearby dock for travel back into Giovanni's clutches, the truck carrying me was flipped, ambushed by an unknown predator. I managed to escape from the truck, but the hunter, a single man, sent out the two dogs after me. That was when you came and saved me. Without you… well I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along." _

"Well I'm here now, you don't have anything to worry about now."

"_You couldn't be farther from the truth, now is when it gets fun. Team Rocket will now want the power I possess more than ever. With you present, my strength only multiplies. We both know that the hunter I met will be back once more, and we must get stronger if we are to fight him. I say we move on those caves, find the treasures that you seek."_

"I agree with you fully. What do you say, Korrina?"

Korrina nodded, "Let's go."

Ash, Korrina, and the two pokémon jumped up off of the log and grabbed their packs, proceeding to run off towards the clearing from the day before.

Clemont tried to yell after them, "But wait, don't you guys want breakfast first?" It was already too late though, they were all completely out of view.

* * *

Being at the clearing again felt very strange to Ash. Before, he had a feeling of dread when approaching the obelisk, but now he felt confident and relaxed. It must have been due to the bond that he shared with Riolu and Pikachu. Before, Riolu was running for his life from two pokémon,, but now they were together, safe and sound. He turned to Korrina and asked, "So how do you think we get into the caves?"

Korrina shook her head, "I dunno. Grandpa never told me how to get in, he said it was a secret and that Lucario and I had to solve it on our own."

"_You said before that you saw a vision when you touched the obelisk, right?"_ Riolu commented.

"Yeah. Why?"

"_Well, maybe the obelisk relays a message through Aura. It would make sense that anything that can manipulate its own Aura, like you and me, would be able to decipher that message."_

Ash nodded, "Sounds like a good idea, let's try it." He walked up and placed his hand on the smooth stone of the obelisk. Instantly, he felt a surge of great power flow through his body, starting from the tips of his fingers and ending at his soles of his feet. He shivered from the influx of raw energy coursing through his veins. He looked down at his arms to see blue wisp of energy floating gently around them, like individual licks of fire dancing above the hairs on his arm.

"So, what did you see?" Korrina asked, as Ash lowered his arm.

"It's the top, the top is the entrance. We have to climb up the pillar." Ash responded.

Korrina kneeled down and pulled her backpack around, unzipping the top before reaching in and pulling out a long strand of rope, tied to a hook on one end."We just have to get this hooked on the entrance to get up there," she said.

"How do you suppose we do that?" Ash asked.

"_Hand it to me, I'll get us up there._" Riolu said as he beckoned for the rope. Korrina placed the hook in his hands, and they all watched as Riolu made a single massive leap up to the top of the pillar.

"What do you see up there, Riolu?" Ash asked.

"_It's as you said, this pillar is hollow. There's an opening up here large enough for a human to fit through. Let me fasten this hook so that you can climb up too."_

Riolu jammed the hook against the opening and tugged against the rope to make sure it was secure. He threw the other end down to Ash, Korrina, and Pikachu before saying "_Come on up."_

Ash was the first to climb up, grabbing the rope firmly in his hands and placing his feet against the stone of the obelisk. He began to pull himself up the face, his feet walking up the wall to give him balance and control. Pikachu jumped off of his shoulders and scaled the rope faster above Ash, making short work of the twenty foot climb. As Ash reached the top, his arms were burning from the effort required to make the climb, and he shook them out as he waited for Korrina to join him.

Riolu was right, the hole in the center of the obelisk was large enough to fit a person, but the fit would be rather snug. Korrina dropped one end of the rope down into the black pit, listening for the sound of it crashing against solid ground. The sound was faint, merely more than a quiet crack that echoed through the obelisk. Korrina was the first to go down, sliding down the rope at a quick pace before disappearing into the dark void. Ash looked down through the opening and asked, "Did you hit the bottom, Korrina?"

"Yeah, I did. It's about thirty feet down."

"Really? I can't see you."

"Oh, let me fix that." Ash watched as an orange glow appeared from the bottom of the hole, shaking wildly for a few seconds, Korrina had cracked open a glowstick.

"Alright, I'm coming down, watch yourself," Ash said. He beckoned Pikachu to jump on his shoulder, and he quickly rappelled down to the floor of the cave. The only light around them was the glow of Korrina's glowstick, besides the small column of daylight coming down from their entrance. However, the glowstick was rather strong, illuminating a ten foot radius around them, revealing a large oblong room around them. Korrina cracked another glowstick and handed it to Ash, who held it high like a torch. From here, he could see that there were two different routes on either end of the room that he could take, both leading off into the deep darkness.

Ash sighed, "Well, what are we gonna do about this? There's no way we'll be able to map this out effectively."

Korrina nodded, "I say we split up, I'll go right and you guys can go left."

"Sounds like a plan, let's meet here in about an hour, that should give us thirty minutes of time to explore."

"Alright, don't get lost out there."

Ash watched as Korrina walked down the right pathway, her light quickly fading as she passed around a corner. He turned to Pikachu and Riolu and said, "Alright guys, let's go find those mega stones."

They began to walk down the left corridor, sneaking around stalagmites and through cracks between the rock. Ash squeezed his way through a tight tunnel in the cave, stopping only to jump down into a cold puddle of water. Ash looked around, holding his glowstick forward so that he could see the walls of the cave. Through the orange glow, he saw a single passageway, outlined by beams of blue light emanating from cracks in the ceiling. The entrance to the tunnel was massive, almost like the open gates of a castle. Ash walked through the entrance, feeling the sleek stone archway around him. Unlike the rest of the cave before, this tunnel looked like it was created, most likely by the resident ground and rock pokémon of the cave. He had seen a few Diglett moving about in the darkness of the tunnel. Ash continued down the tunnel, followed closely by Pikachu and Riolu.

At the end of the passage was a round, stone altar enveloped in light. In the center of the altar were three granite pedestals, engraved with a large helix on the front of each of them. On top of the pedestals were the three vibrant gems of varying sizes. Ash instantly recognized the gems to be those from his vision. These were mega stones... his mega stones. Ash walked up to the pedestals, and grabbed the multi-colored stone, the key stone, in his palm. It was small, only the size of a large pebble, but he felt a strange energy emanating from it. He felt drawn to it, almost as if it were glued to his hand. He shook the feeling away and placed the stone in his pocket. It was hardly a good place to put it, but his pocket would have to work for now. He turned to the other two, both much larger than the key stone. Ash lifted both of them off of their respective pedestals, safely placing them in his backpack. "Well, we got what we came for, what do you say we get back now?" Ash asked as he zipped up the large pocket.

Pikachu nodded, "Pika pi."

"_Wait, let me see one of those mega stones, the smaller of the two."_ Riolu said.

Ash pulled out the stone and handed it to Riolu. The Emanation Pokémon stared at the stone in its hands with unblinking eyes. Suddenly, the stone began to glow brightly, to the surprise of everyone watching.

"_Pull out your key stone now."_

Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out the multicolored stone. As he touched it, the stone began to vibrate and glow as well. "What's happening, Riolu?" Ash asked.

"_The stones are reacting with our energy. This is it, this is Lucarionite."_

"This is the mega evolution stone for Lucario?"

"_Yes. It feels so weird holding this in my hands. Knowing that eventually I will be able to unlock its secrets is unbearable. The wait will weigh heavily on me."_

"It'll be worth it in the end though. Don't worry, Riolu, we'll get you there, together."

"_Hmm...yes. Together."_

"C'mon, let's get out of here, we have to find a way back to the entrance." Ash said as he pulled the straps of the backpack around his shoulders.

However, before they could move away, the altar began to glow a deep purple color. The light gripped them, holding their legs down as it encased them in purple light. Ash felt a strange sensation, as if he was being rocked by a gust of wind. His vision began to blur, and when he tried to move his head to look at Pikachu and Riolu, he couldn't move his neck, as if some unseen force was holding his head in one place. Ash watched in silence as his surroundings began to change, the cave melting away in front of his eyes. Once he was finally able to turn his head, Ash looked around to see where he was. Surprisingly, Ash was no longer in the cave, he had been teleported back up to the surface, right next to the obelisk. Pikachu and Riolu were there as well, and they looked just as bewildered as he was. Leaning against the obelisk was Korrina, holding a sphere of Lucarionite in her hand.

"Korrina? What happened? How did you get to the surface?"

"Well I grabbed this Lucarionite from a pedestal, and then there was this purple light...I don't know."

"_It seems that we've been teleported to the surface by something in the cave. It gave us what we wanted and expelled us."_

"Weird, what do you think it was?" Ash asked.

"_We may never know. Best not to dwell on it though, we got what we came for, we should get back to the others."_

Korrina nodded, "I guess Riolu is right. Do you want to get going, Ash?"

"Might as well, we'll have to see what the others say about this."

* * *

"Wait, you're saying that you guys were teleported out of the caves? Did you get your mega stones at least?" Clemont asked.

"Of course, here let me show you."

Ash pulled out the three stones and placed them in Clemont's hands. Clemont eyed the stones, moving them around in his hands. Clemont nodded to himself and handed the stones back to Ash, "Those are pretty cool, if I do say so myself. Do you know what pokémon they are for?"

Ash shook his head, "I know that one of them is Lucarionite, but I have no idea what pokémon species the other one is for."

"Hmmm, you think Professor Sycamore would know?" Serena asked, taking the larger stone in her hands.

Ash scratched his head, "Maybe. What do you think Gurkinn."

Gurkinn shook his head, "I don't know, but I know someone who might."

"Do you?"

"Of course, there's an old craftsman I know in Geosenge town who makes arm bands, necklaces, and other jewelry designed to hold mega stones. If there's anyone who knows, it'd be him. Tell you what, Ash, if you loan me the stones you found, I'll get them socketed into jewelry for you and your pokémon. Then, next time I see you, I'll give them back to you in something a bit easier for you and your pokémon to carry."

Ash nodded, "That sounds like a great idea, but when will I see you next?"

"You're going to challenge the Shalour City gym right?"

"Yeah, of course. I need the badge from the leader on my way to the Kalos league."

"Well Korrina just happens to be the leader there, I'll give them to you then."

Ash's mouth opened wide, "Korrina, you never told me that!"

Korrina giggled, "It must've just slipped my mind. Grandpa's right, I'm the gym leader there, and I'm one hardest gym leaders to beat, especially now that I have Lucarionite. With Mega Lucario, I'll be unbeatable."

"Don't think I'll be an easy challenger. I have competed in five Pokémon League tournaments after all."

Gurkinn smiled, "Now, now. Let's not get off topic."

Ash nodded, "Right. Here, Gurkinn, take the stones."

Ash put the other two stones in Gurkinn's hands, and the older man placed them into his rucksack. Gurkinn hefted the bag onto his shoulders and said, "You take good care of Riolu, Ash. It's not very often that someone catches such a pokémon."

"Don't worry, I will."

"Good. Now, Korrina and I must say goodbye to all of you. We'll meet again in Shalour City, and I'll make sure to have your stones as well."

Ash nodded, "I'll see both of you then. Goodbye, and thank you for everything."

The group stood there, waving at Gurkinn and Korrina as they walked off into the distance, vanishing from view over the horizon.

"So what now?" Serena asked.

"We go to Sycamore's summer camp of course." Bonnie said.

Ash nodded, "I guess you're right. What do you say, Riolu? Do you want to travel with us?"

"_Definitely. We can learn so much from traveling together that it would be dumb of me not to._"

Ash reached down and pulled a ball from his belt, he held the deep red Poké ball in front of Riolu and said, "Here, Riolu, this is my most special Poké ball, my Cherish ball, there is no other pokémon who I'd rather have in this ball. All you have to do is press the red button in the center."

"_No, not like this_." Riolu said as it pushed the ball back towards Ash.

"What do you mean, Riolu? I thought you said you wanted to travel with me."

"_I do, but I want to battle for it, as a formality of course. Show me the hard training that you and Pikachu have gone through. Only then will I allow myself to be caught."_

Ash chuckled and flipped the bill of his hat backward, "I would expect no less. What do you say Pikachu?"

"Pika, Pika pi!" Pikachu shouted. Electricity began to surge from his red cheeks as he jumped down in front of Ash.

Riolu jumped away, preparing himself for battle. He took a wide battle stance and stared directly into Pikachu's eyes before saying, "_It's your move."_

Ash pumped his fist and commanded, "Pikachu, use Quick Attack."

Pikachu rushed forward, gaining momentum before he jumped at Riolu, attempting to hit him with a strong headbutt. Riolu was quick to react, however, and dodged the attack at blinding speed. Pikachu was caught off balance by the sudden movements of the Emanation Pokémon and he stumbled. This gave Riolu the opportunity he needed, and he rushed forward and slammed into Pikachu's crashed against the ground, quickly flipping himself back onto his feet.

"Try a Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu charged up the electricity in his cheeks, firing a bolt of lightning directly at Riolu. However, Riolu was prepared, and he dashed out of the way once again, charging forward at blinding speed. Once he came close to Pikachu, he held out his palm and fired a blast of blue energy from the heel. The blast struck the Mouse Pokémon in the chest, throwing him onto his back.

"So you know Force Palm, Riolu. That's a great move, but it takes more than that to beat Pikachu. Use Agility."

Pikachu jumped back onto his feet and sprinted forward. He moved so fast that it looked like he teleported. Pikachu smiled, Riolu had speed on his side before, but now Pikachu just evened the playing field. He jumped forward again, attempting to hit Riolu with another Quick Attack. Riolu barely had time to react, and he took Pikachu's attack directly. The attack hurt, but Riolu managed to position himself to use the momentum from the attack against Pikachu, and he threw the electric type pokémon high up into the air. Pikachu tried to yell out, but Riolu jumped up and slammed Pikachu back towards the ground.

Pikachu landed with a sharp crack, sending a cloud of dust up into the air around his impact spot. Pikachu recovered quickly and retaliated with another Thunderbolt while his opponent was in the air. Riolu was surprised at the speed of Pikachu, and he tried himself in mid air. The bolt of lightning struck Riolu, creating a wisp of smoke as it smacked him back down to the ground. Pikachu grunted, the last attack really hurt, he didn't know if he could take another attack as strong as that. For Riolu's size, he packed a serious punch.

Ash grit his teeth, he knew he had to think of something. He couldn't let Pikachu take all of these attacks, he had to figure out something. _That's it!_ "Pikachu, use Agility and then Quick Attack once more."

Pikachu nodded, there was no doubt that Riolu was ready for the attack again, but Ash must have some secret plan up his sleeve. Pikachu zig-zagged his way towards Riolu and pounced once more. Riolu countered once more, the same way he did before. He took the attack and threw Pikachu up in the air. As Pikachu dangled helplessly, Riolu jumped up once more, preparing himself for another attack.

This was Ash's chance. "Pikachu, begin to spin and use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu obliged, and curled into a ball, beginning to spin head over heels. His tail began to glow white, spinning wildly around as Pikachu spun. Riolu tried to change his trajectory, but he slammed directly into Pikachu's iron hard tail. The attack knocked Pikachu up further and sent Riolu back down to the ground. Riolu crashed into the ground on his back, dazed and confused from the collision.

"That's it Pikachu, keep spinning and use Thunderbolt."  
Pikachu continued spinning faster as he launched a continuous stream of electric energy down through his tail. The fast speed at which he was spinning made the bolt spin as well, and it acted as a large saw, digging into the ground and Riolu. The attack sent up huge clouds of dust and rock. As the dust settled, Ash could see Riolu standing there, visually exhausted.

"He must have endured the attack. That's one strong pokémon." Ash muttered to himself. "Now's my chance though." He pulled out his Cherish ball and threw it like a baseball at Riolu. The ball struck Riolu on the head, sucking the pokémon into the ball in a flash of light. The ball sat on the grass, wiggling wildly until it finally stopped. The ball dinged to confirm capture, and Ash ran over to pick up the ball.

He opened the ball and released Riolu, who stood in front of Ash, his fur still rugged and dirty from the battle. "What did you think?" Ash asked.

"_That was a great battle, Master. Thank you."_

"Master? Why did you call me 'Master'"?

"_That is what you are now, no? You have caught me, and I will do everything in my power to help you on your journey...on our journey."_

"But, Riolu, we're friends. You don't have to call me your master."

"_It is what I choose to call you."_

"Well in that case, I guess we should get going. Do you want to stay out of your ball, Riolu?"

"_No, there's no doubt that Team Rocket and the hunter will try to find me. It's best if I stay pretty inconspicuous in public. It would be a little strange to see a Riolu walking around out of its Poké ball."_

"I guess you're right. In that case, return, Riolu."

Ash recalled Riolu back into the shimmering, red ball and held it in his hand, his eyes fixed on it.

Serena walked over and placed her hand on Ash's shoulder, "Great job, Ash! You caught a Riolu."

Ash smiled, "I guess I did, didn't I?" Ash's grin widened immensely and he jumped into the air shouting out, "Yeah! I caught a Riolu!"

Pikachu smiled and jumped up as well, mimicking his trainer's actions while shouting, "Pi Pikachu!"

"Haha, you're so excited, aren't you, Ash?" Serena asked.

"Yeah I am! C'mon, we have a Summer Camp to go to. Let's go Pikachu!" Ash said as he and Pikachu began to run off down the path.

Bonnie yelled, "You don't have to ask me twice. Clemont, Serena, keep up!"

Clemont sighed, "Wait up, don't leave me behind."

* * *

**So, how did you like it? Now before you read what's below, let me say some things:**

**I've been meaning for some time to actually introduce Draven into the story. I want him to be more than just a generic villain that comes and fights Ash with no real interesting motivation. I tried in this chapter to really introduce Draven as a fallen character, who has a sense of morality that has been skewed by the terrible events in his life. I want him to be interesting to read about, and I hope that came across. As of now he is always there, tracking and hunting the group without them ever knowing. He's waiting, planning for his next move, and when he finally comes again...well let's just say I don't want to spoil it for everyone.**

**This chapter most definitely set up a lot of things that are going to happen in future chapters, so I hope you're all ready. A ton of stuff happens here, and I put a couple little hints into future chapters. But, there's more than just a little hint, because I have yet another sneak peek for all of you of a later chapter that I have begun writing (because I can). Enjoy.**

* * *

The elevator doors opened, sending a rush of cool, night air at Serena. As she took a single step out of the elevator cabin, into the quiet night, she softly ran her hand on her arm, feeling the small bumps that were forming on her skin. The sky was dark and empty except for the full moon that hung high in the sky, the stars obscured by the radiant light of the Lumiose cityscape. Serena smiled to herself, she couldn't have found a better night for this. She had been under constant pressure from everyone else to do this for so long. To be honest, Serena never thought that she would make it this far in the first place. She had spent so long gaining the confidence necessary to do this, and it was now finally happening. All the pieces had seemed to come together. However, now what she saw ahead of her humbled her to no belief, and she began to shake from nervousness. There, bathed in the moonlight, was Ash Ketchum.

He leaned against the railing, looking down on the sprawling city. His usual wardrobe had been replaced by a different, more formal outfit. Instead of his blue jacket, he wore a dark blue button-up shirt over a pair of khaki slacks. Draped around his neck was an unknotted black tie, wrinkled from a long night of wear. He wasn't wearing his trademark red cap like he normally would, and his usually unkempt hair had been trimmed and combed. Serena's eyes widened, there was just something so alluring about the way he was dressed. If it wasn't for his mother, he would still have worn his traveling clothes to his eighteenth birthday celebration, and that would have been quite a shame, for Serena at least. Ash definitely didn't look comfortable in the outfit, and there was no doubt that he would go back to his jacket and jeans after all of this was done. Serena walked up to the railing next to Ash, her confidence completely drained from her. She stared down at her hands, clutching the rail hard enough to turn her knuckles white. Ash turned to look at Serena, his warm, brown eyes meeting hers. Serena felt as if her stomach jumped out of her body, free-falling to the ground at the bottom of the Prism Tower.

"Hey, Serena, what's up?" Ash asked.

Serena gulped and took a deep breath, _here it goes_, "Ash, there's something I have to tell you."

* * *

**Thank you for reading, you guys really are the best. I know it's a slow grind, because you have to wait so long, but I hope each and every chapter is worth it for all of you. I'll be back with the next chapter sometime (hopefully sooner rather than later). I have something special planned for it, or should I say someone. Someone you haven't seen in quite a while, someone who will most definitely butt heads with Serena. Who could it be? Find out next time. **


	12. Chapter 12: A Meadow of Daisies

**Not gonna say anything, you guys have waited long enough. Go read, I'll be there at the end.**

**Chapter 12: A Meadow of Daisies**

* * *

The bright sun was waning in the sky, blanketing the azure ocean in a layer of golden orange as the seawater gently rushed onto the beach and filtered through the grains of white sand. Ash bent down and removed his shoes and socks, his feet sinking into the shifting, coarse ground. He rolled up his pant legs and stepped gently into the rolling tide. The cold salt water rushed over his bare feet, flowing in between his toes and washing off all the sand that clumped on his skin as he walked.

"What are you doing, Ash?" Bonnie asked.

Ash turned around and smiled at the young girl, the setting sun at his back, "I just love the ocean. This is the perfect time to watch it too."

Serena nodded, "Yeah, Bonnie, don't you just want to sit here and watch the sun set. It's so magical."

"We can watch it while we walk towards the summer camp, though. Aren't we almost there, Clemont?"

Clemont poked his head out from behind the map in front of him, "Yeah, Bonnie, it's only a few miles away."

"Then let's go, c'mon!"

Ash chuckled, "Alright, but I'm gonna go nice and slow."

"That's a little unlike you, Ash." Serena said.

"What is?"

"Well, I just expected you to be more excited to be like Bonnie, where you're always ready to go to the next city."

"I was, at least when I was younger. For a long time, all I wanted was to move as fast as I could. I remember racing Gary from town to town in Kanto, trying to get more badges than he could. I was so naive, I never just sat down to take in all the beauty of this world. But I've learned that being a Pokémon Master means more than just being good at battling. Why rush into things when I know where I'm going? Right, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded his head and agreed, "Pika, Pikachu."

"That's an interesting way to look at things, Ash." Clemont said.

Serena looked at her feet, "Yeah, you know what you're doing and where you're going."

"Exactly. Now let's get to the camp before sundown. You guys know that Bonnie has been talking about this all week."

Bonnie smiled and nudged Serena with her elbow, "Yeah, maybe I'll find my soulmate here after he rescues me from a rabid pokémon."

Serena blushed and grit her teeth, whispering, "Bonnie, stop that."

Bonnie grinned impishly and began to skip on down the beach, laughing to herself.

By the time that the group reached the campground, the sun had nearly fallen beneath the blue horizon. The golden orange on the surface of the ocean retreated, bathing the beach and log cabins of the camp in an assortment of blues and purples. The camp was collected around a single Pokémon Center, its massive, lit windows contrasting against the darkness slowly enveloping the countryside. The group walked in through the double doors into the towering foyer. Unlike the more modern centers in the region, this center was more rustic and rural in its look. The traditional marble and concrete was replaced by hardwood floors and tall tree trunks acting as supports for the roof. A single, large area rug sat in the center of the foyer, leading the way to the mahogany front desk. Behind the desk sat a sleeping Professor Sycamore, his feet resting on the surface of the polished wood.

As Ash walked toward the snoozing pokémon professor, a door opened behind the desk and out stepped a nurse in her full attire. Once she saw Sycamore, she slapped him against the shoulder and said, "Hey, what did we say about feet on the desk?"

Sycamore startled awake and almost fell out of his chair. "Sorry, Joy," he apologized.

"Just don't do it again, Professor." Joy said mockingly as she walked away.

Sycamore looked up to see Ash standing in front of the desk. He grinned, "Well look who it is, the man I wanted to see. How's it going Ash?"

"You wanted to see me?" Ash asked.  
"Yes, yes. Come with me, all of you."

Serena walked up to Ash and asked, "What's going on?"

Ash shrugged, "I don't know, but I'm a bit curious.."

Bonnie tugged at Ash's jacket, "What about the camp?"

"I'll ask, Bonnie, don't worry."

The group followed Sycamore into a room with a shelf of Poké balls against the back wall. Sycamore grabbed one of the red and white capsules off of the shelf and handed it to Ash.

"What is this, Professor?" Ash asked.

"I got a call from Professor Oak over in Kanto. It seems that one of your pokémon was really restless back on his ranch, so he gave it to me to give to you."

Ash took the ball from Sycamore's hand and said, "Who is it?"

Sycamore shrugged, "I don't know, I haven't opened the ball yet."

"Well, let's see."

Ash opened up the ball, releasing a stream of white light that fell to the ground. Ash gasped as he saw the pokémon materialize before him. The pokémon stood on four powerful legs, its pale, yellow skin almost shining against the harsh, artificial lights of the room. Around the base of its neck was a wreath of segmented, leaved shoots, and it brandished a long, thin leaf that protruded out of its head. The pokémon stared at Ash with beady, crimson eyes, until it finally rushed forward and nuzzled into his chest. Ash laughed audibly and said, "It's good to see you too, Bayleef."

Bayleef continued to snuggle against Ash, rubbing her head against the soft material of his shirt. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and onto the pokémon's back. Bayleef twisted her neck and lowered the leaf on her head, engaging in a pseudo-handshake with the Mouse Pokémon.

"Wow, Bayleef is so cute. I just want to give it a big hug!" Bonnie cried out as she ran over to Bayleef and wrapped her arms around Bayleef's muscular neck. Bayleef smiled and let out a contented, high-pitched hum.

Ash smiled, "She's a big softie, and she really like complements."

Bonnie grinned widely, "She smells so good too. It's a very lemony scent."

"Yeah, it's because of the growing sprouts around her neck. Bayleef communicate with each other using the scents they give off. Many people use Bayleef's scent for aromatherapy and perfumes. Be careful though. Bayleef, if she's angry, can release a scent that can numb or momentarily paralyze opponents."

"Wow, that's so cool. Come on, Clemont. Come see Bayleef!" Bonnie beckoned to her brother.

"You too, Serena. I promise that Bayleef doesn't bite...too hard." Ash added with a smile.

Serena walked over and attempted to place a hand on Ash's shoulder, but her hand was slapped away by the leaf on Bayleef's head.

"Hey, why did you do that, Bayleef?" Serena asked, rubbing her hand.

"She's just a bit defensive. I'm sure she'll be better once she warms up to you, Serena."

Serena nodded, "She seems to like you a lot, Ash."

"Yeah. Bayleef and I have always been very close. I remember how hot-headed she was back when she was still a Chikorita. She didn't like Pikachu for a while because she was jealous of the attention he was getting. But she's grown out of that, right, Bayleef?"

Bayleef nodded and snuggled into Ash's chest again. She took a glance at Serena and flashed the trainer a mocking grin before licking the side of his face. Ash chuckled and wrapped his arms tighter around Bayleef.

Serena reeled back, _this Bayleef is trying to make me jealous! And the sad part is that it's working!_

Sycamore cleared his throat and said, "So anyway, I overheard Bonnie say that you guys are here for the summer camp I'm holding."

Ash nodded, "Yeah, Bonnie really wanted to be a part of it."

"Well, good news! I've still got a single spot in the girls' cabin for you, Bonnie."

"Really? Awesome!" Bonnie cried out.

"As for the others, well you guys are a bit old to be campers, but that doesn't mean you can't stay." Sycamore turned to Serena and asked, "Serena, how would you like to be a camp leader for the girls cabin?"

Serena nodded, "Yeah, sure. It sounds like fun."

"Great, I'm sure you and Shauna will get along well."

"What about Ash and I, Professor?" Clemont asked.

"Let me think. I don't have anything for you Clemont, unless you want to help me with some IT problems…"

"I'll do it!" Clemont said enthusiastically.

"Really?"

Clemont rushed out of the room, "Of course. I can get started now."

"Umm… Alright. Thanks, Clemont."

"I don't think you know what you've gotten yourself into." Bonnie said.

"Anyway, about you, Ash. The kids all love a superstar like you."

"Superstar? I don't think I'm a superstar." Ash shrugged

Serena scoffed, "Ash c'mon, you get people every day asking for your autograph."

Sycamore nodded, "There's no doubt the kids would want to do some activities designed by the great Ash Ketchum himself. What do you say, Ash?"

"I guess I'll do it."

"Good, I'll go get you a room key. Serena, Bonnie, you two can go drop your stuff off in the girl's cabin. Be quick though, dinner's going to start soon."

* * *

Serena and Bonnie opened the door into the cabin. On the inside were two long rows of bunk beds filled with giggling girls. In the center of the room was a single teenaged girl, not much younger than Serena. She had dark brunette hair, styled with two long locks of hair coiled around a couple of pigtails. The girl looked at Serena and Bonnie, her verdant eyes dazzling in the light. The girl walked up to Serena and Bonnie, extended her manicured hand, and said, "Hi, I'm Shauna."

Bonnie was the first to reply, "It's very nice to meet you! I'm Bonnie."

Serena shook Shauna's hand and added, "And I'm Serena."

Shauna pulled Serena closer and stared into her eyes, "So you're the Serena."

Serena raised her eyebrow inquisitively and asked, "Yeah, I'm Serena. Why?"

"Oh my, I can't believe I'm meeting you. Wow."

Serena gave the girl a polite smile. "Umm, am I famous or something?" she asked.

"Famous? No, you're not just famous. You're a Pokévision Star!" Shauna replied.

"Wait, Pokévision?"

"Yeah! Don't you remember the video you released a while ago? It's gone viral. People are eating it up."

Serena blushed, "Me, famous? I don't believe you. Show me."

Shauna pulled Serena towards a computer by the arm and flipped it on. After a few seconds of browsing, she pulled up Serena's PR video. "Look, Serena. Your video has been out for almost a month now, and it already has 100,000 views."

Serena looked down at the screen and gasped. Shauna wasn't lying after all. "But how can this be?" She asked.

"Pssh, because you're cute, sexy, and the camera loves you. I bet that more than a couple guys were 'bothered' by your Fennekin outfit. Oh man, Trevor and Tierno are gonna flip."

"It was just one video though."

"Yeah, but one video is all anyone needs to see. What are you doing here? I thought you might be some sort of movie star or something by now."

Serena laughed, "Haha, no. I'm just traveling with my friends. My friend Ash is gathering badges so that he can get in the Kalos League."

Shauna screamed, startling Serena. She took a deep breath and said, "You're traveling with Ash Ketchum? The famous trainer Ash Ketchum?"

"Yes."

"_The_ Ash Ketchum?"

"Yes?" Serena said, getting very confused.

"Oh man, this is something else. He's here now, right?"

"Yeah, he's staying in the Pokémon Center."

Shauna shrieked and said, "I'm so excited to see him. He's so dreamy."

Serena blushed, _first Bayleef and now Shauna? Why do you have to do this to me, universe_?

Shauna gasped, "Oh I see. You _like_ Ash, don't you?"

Serena's blush intensified and she quickly looked away.

"Oh yeah you do. You have the hots for Ash big time." Shauna said coyly.

"I...I wouldn't say that I have the 'hots' for him. He's just a real nice guy and I like to spend time with him." Serena stuttered.

"Whatever you say, Serena. That blush on your face tells the opposite story though. Jeez, you're redder than a Krabby's shell."

"Uh…"

Shauna giggled, "I'm just joking with you, Serena. C'mon, you can put your stuff on the bed next to mine."

* * *

The young campers all shuffled into the mess hall, each one grabbing a tray of food before finding their seats on the lines of tables. On one end of the room sat a large stage, fitted with lights and a small sound system. No doubt Sycamore would show up and give some announcement later. Serena looked around the room and saw Bonnie sitting next to some of the other girls. The blonde girl was obviously enjoying herself, because of the massive grin on her face. Serena chuckled, _Bonnie can sure find friends quick can't she?_

Shauna nudged the older girl with her elbow."Hey, Serena," she asked.

Serena turned her head and said,"Yeah?"

"What do you say you sit with me and the other camp leaders. We're over on that table by the stage."

Serena nodded, "Yeah, that'd be great."

"Great, I'm sure Tierno and Trevor will be excited to meet you."

Serena followed closely behind Shauna to the small table in the corner and set down her platter of food across from the two teenage boys on the opposite side of the table. The boy on the left was very husky, and he sported yellow cargo shorts and a gray t-shirt with a blue Vanillite on the front. His dark brown hair was completely buzzed on the sides, and the top was slicked up using hair gel. The other boy was much shorter and skinnier, his long, orange hair adding an extra two inches on the top of his head. He wore a sage green polo with a Poké ball emblazoned on the breast pocket.

Shauna placed her food next to Serena and said to the boys, "Hey, guys. How's it going?"

"Hi, Shauna. Who's this?" The boy with the orange hair asked.

"I know exactly who she is. She's Serena Gabena! She's the one I told you about, Trevor." The larger boy shouted out as he quickly jumped out of his chair and over the table. He took Serena's hand and said, "And might I say that you are much more beautiful in person. My name is Tierno."

"Hehe. Hi, Tierno." Serena said, feeling rather embarrassed.

"Stop it, Tierno." Shauna reprimanded the boy. "Sorry, Serena. Tierno gets these little crushes, and he's a bit overzealous about it."

Serena blushed, "It's quite alright, it's kinda sweet."

"You're too kind to him, Serena," the other boy said as he stood up. He extended a hand and said, "My name is Trevor, it's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Trevor." Serena said as she sat down on her chair. She turned to look at the other three and asked, "So how do you guys know each other."

"Well we all met at this summer camp years ago. As it turns out, we all lived in the same town." Shauna said.

"Really? Where?" Serena asked.

"Vaniville Town."

"I live in Vaniville too."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah, born and raised."

"That's so cool. Do you have any pokémon?"

Serena nodded, "Yeah, I have my Fennekin and a Butterfree, you guys?"

"Well, we all just got ours from Professor Sycamore. I got a Bulbasaur." Shauna said.

"Yeah, I have my Squirtle, Trevor's got his Charmander." Tierno added.

"Kanto starters? That's really cool."

"So, Serena, why did you decide to come to the camp this year?" Trevor asked.

"She's here with Ash Ketchum, they're going to Shalour City." Shauna blurted before Serena could answer.

Tierno slammed his hands on the table, startling everyone else eating their food and stood up, saying, "No way? Ash Ketchum is here?"

"Uh yeah, he's here." Serena replied.

"That guy's my idol! He's so cool, and his battling style is just something to watch. You've seen his battles in person right? He's gotta have some badges in Kalos already."

"I've seen both of his gym battles, they are definitely amazing. I don't know how he does it."

"Oh, wow."

"So I take it you're big on Pokémon battling, Tierno?"

"Am I ever. Though my style is a little different than others. I'm using the power of dance moves to help me rise my way to the top. We'll be the best Pokémon dance team in the world."

"Sounds like a good goal."

"What about you, Serena? What are you doing while Ash is crushing the Kalos league?"

"Umm...well nothing right now."

"Really?"

Serena sighed, "Yeah, I just don't know what I want to do at the moment."

"Hmm, well…"

Tierno was interrupted by the doors to the mess hall opening wide. Through the door stepped Professor Sycamore, the resident Nurse Joy, and Ash. As Ash walked past the isles of tables, the campers began to whisper amongst themselves. The group walked up to the stage and took place behind a single microphone on a stand. Sycamore tapped the mic a couple times and said, "Hello, campers. My name is Professor Sycamore. I hope you all are having a good dinner."

The sea of young heads nodded at the professor.

"Good. Good. Well let me introduce to some of the other people you'll be seeing a lot for the next couple of days. First of all, this is Nurse Joy, she'll be taking care of the clinic. If you're hurt or sick, just go to her. Would you like to say anything, Joy?"

Joy took the microphone and said, "I hope we all have a good time here at the camp. Tomorrow, all of you will be given a single pokémon that will be your partner for the remainder of the camp. We at the center will be happy to assist in any way to help you with this big commitment."

Joy handed the microphone back to Sycamore, who held it in front of his face and said,"Thanks, Joy. The next people I'll introduce are your camp counselors, sitting right here. Stand up, guys."

Sycamore pointed to the table that Serena and the other three were sitting at. They all stood up and waved at the kids before sitting back down again.

Sycamore continued, "Don't be afraid to talk to them about anything. They are here to keep you safe while you have fun. Now, let me introduce you to our guest counselor. He'll be here to help me with planning activities for you and your pokémon to do. He's had some serious experience with pokémon in the past, so you can come to him with any questions you have. Here he is, Ash Ketchum."

The room began to explode with applause as Ash took the microphone from Sycamore. He smiled and waved, holding the microphone close as he said, "Hello, everyone!" The room got quiet as he began to speak. Ash continued, "So I'm guessing from that warm welcome that you guys know me?"

The room erupted into applause once more as Ash chuckled to himself. "Thank you. Thank you. You are all so kind. Who's ready for some fun?!"

Applause erupted once more. Serena smiled, Ash was really loving this publicity.

"Alright, alright. Calm down. Now, like Nurse Joy said, all of you will get a pokémon friend tomorrow, one of the starter pokémon from the various regions around the world. As a trainer, each one of us starts off with a single pokémon, a partner that we bond with over time, a partner that becomes our best friend."

Ash heard a single voice, a boy's voice shout out, "Where's your pokémon?"

Another, this one a girl's, "Yeah, where's Pikachu?"

All of the kids in the hall began to chant loudly, "Pi-ka-chu. Pi-ka-chu."

Ash held up one hand and said, "You guys want to see, Pikachu?"

A cacophany of shouts and claps was the response.

"Alright, come on in, Pikachu."

Pikachu entered through the same doors as Ash had minutes ago, a blue bowtie around his neck. He jumped up into the air, doing a couple flips as he flew. With each flip, Pikachu released a ball of condensed electrical energy that began to spin around his body. The spheres began to spin more rapidly around Pikachu as he stopped flipping, his body held motionless in the air by the magnetic field created in between the balls of energy. Pikachu then sent bolts of electricity to each of the orbiting spheres, and the bolts began to arc in between each other, creating a thick web of electrical energy. The web began to expand and swell, creating a single large globe surrounding Pikachu. The orbs of electricity around Pikachu began to move in different directions, orbiting around Pikachu quickly as the globe expanded. Once it reached a certain size, the globe began to quiver and shake until it burst, sending the balls shooting out in all directions, Once they reached a small distance away from Pikachu, each sphere detonated, showering the campers in harmless, shimmering, sparks of electricity.

Pikachu landed on top of Ash's head and smiled at the crowd as they began to cheer at the performance they just witnessed. Serena was shocked, she had never expected Ash and Pikachu to make such a performance.

"Wow that was some presentation. Right, Serena?" Shauna asked.

"Yeah, it was beautiful."

"That, boys and girls, was a representation of the bond that Pikachu and I share. We have been together for a very long time, and we trust each other with our lives. Even though you and your pokémon will only be together for a few days, you will all get a small taste of the friendship and bonding that comes with getting your own pokémon and finding yourself in this beautiful world. Who knows, maybe you'll find your future pokémon partner in this camp. Only time will tell. Thank you all, let's have a great time."

Ash handed the microphone back to Sycamore, who shook Ash's hand and said, "Thank you for that, Ash. Right. Finish your dinners everyone, and get some rest. Tomorrow is a gonna be a big day."

Sycamore and Joys stepped down from the stage and exited through the main doors. Ash stepped on over to Serena's table and sat down next to her, asking, "Hey, Serena, how's it going."

"You never told me you could do something like that."

"Do what?"

"That performance Pikachu did. That was so awesome."

"Oh that, that was a small thing Pikachu and I were working on back when we were doing contests with May and Dawn. If you had seen the stuff that they could do, you would be up on your feet clapping." Ash pointed to the other three people at the table, "So, who are your friends, Serena?"

"You weren't kidding, it's really Ash Ketchum in the flesh. My name's Tierno. It's great to meet you."

Ash shook Tierno's hand, "It's good to meet you too."

Shauna was the next to shake Ash's hand, "I'm Shauna."

"And I'm Trevor."

The Pallet town trainer smiled. "It's real nice to meet all three of you," he said.

"So, Ash," Shauna asked, "How did you and Serena get to know each other?"

"Well, we met at a summer camp just like this one."

"Really, that's so cool…"

Serena began to drift off, the words of the conversation melting into only noise. She thought back to that summer camp years ago, and the days that she and Ash spent together.

* * *

_"C'mon c'mon, Serena. You're going so slow."_

_"Ash, I can only go so fast in my pretty dress. I thought we were just gonna eat lunch outside?"_

_"We are, but only in the best spot. I found it yesterday. C'mon!"_

_Serena followed behind Ash as they moved through the trees. He was carrying two brown, paper bags, their lunches, in his hands. He happily skipped along, effortlessly dodging the branches and bushes around the path. However, It was a different story for Serena. The fabric of her pale pink dress snagged on the twigs and branches as she walked. She struggled to keep moving, and she began to lag behind Ash._

_"Hey, Ash, wait up," she yelled._

_The boy stopped and turned around. He walked back towards Serena and said, "Here, let me help you."_

_He set both paper bags in his left hand, grabbing Serena's hand with his right. On contact, Serena's face flushed to the same color as her dress, and she stuttered, "Thanks, Ash."_

_Ash smiled and began to pull her down the path by the hand. As they walked, Serena noticed that her dress wasn't getting caught on anything, she was walking smoothly through the forest behind Ash. She was definitely feeling weird about this boy. She had never felt this way before, but he just seemed so… perfect. But that was nothing compared to what she saw next._

_He led her past the treeline to the edge of a very shallow hill. About fifty feet to their left was another cliff face, about twenty feet taller than the one Ash and Serena were on. A single waterfall rushed down the side of the cliff, collecting in a basin that fed into a large stream five feet below the young kids. Across the stream was a large field, devoid of any trees. The field was covered completely in white daisies. Sitting on the horizon were a line of tall mountains, their sharp, pyramidal peaks piercing the blue sky. A line of small, wispy clouds drifted high in the sky, the small crystals of freezing ice glowing white against the sun's rays._

_"Well, here we are. What do you think?"_

_"Ash, this place is amazing. How did you find it?"_

_"How do you think I found you yesterday? I was exploring around the area when I saw it. Down there I saw a Poliwag, the same one I was chasing when I found you."_

_"It's so beautiful." Serena said, her eyes wide with awe._

_"I thought you'd like it. C'mon I'm hungry, let's eat." Ash said as he handed Serena her sack lunch._

_Serena giggled, "Okay."_

_Both of them sat down on the soft grass and opened up their lunches. Serena pulled out her peanut butter and jelly sandwich and took a bite as daintily as possible. She didn't want Ash to think she was a slob. The same could not be said for Ash, as he hastily wolfed down his own sandwich and reached into the bag for the next item. Serena sighed, Ash sure was a gentleman wasn't he?_

_Once they had finished their lunch, Ash and Serena sat against the stream, both of them dipping their feet into the cold, refreshing water. Ash turned to Serena and said, "Hey, Serena?"_

_Serena looked back, "Yeah?"_

_"You told me earlier today that you live in Kalos. So why are you all the way in Kanto for a summer camp?"_

_"I don't know, Ash. My mom just really wanted me to do it. She said it'd be good for me to be around all the pokémon in the world, especially when I become a great Rhyhorn racer like she is."_

_"That's so cool. Are you excited to start?"_

_"Yeah. Sure." Serena said lamely._

_"Well I'm gonna be a pokémon master. You're gonna see me in the news and on the TV, I'm gonna be big."_

_"Hehe, I'll look forward to it."_

_Both of them sat in silence, watching the waters softly flow downstream, slowly making its way to the wide ocean beyond._

* * *

"Hey, Serena." Ash snapped his fingers in front of the blonde's face.

Serena shook her head and asked, "Wha...what happened?"

"You zoned out again. What were you thinking about?"

Her face flushed, "Hehe. It was nothing."

"Alright. Well I'm gonna head out and get some rest, we got a big day ahead of us. See you guys tomorrow?"

Serena nodded, "Yeah, good night, Ash."

Ash stood up and walked out of the now empty mess hall, leaving Serena and the other camp leaders sitting at their table. They continued to talk for another hour, until they got tired as well. One by one they all retired to their own beds, until Serena was the only one left. She finally got up and walked out the door into the cool, nighttime air. She stared out towards the ocean, watching the dark waves softly roll up onto shore. She took off her shoes and long socks before stepping softly onto the sand. A single tear rolled down her face as she whispered softly to herself, "What's out there for me? What's out there for Serena Gabena, and why can't I find it?"

She wiped her eyes and put her shoes and socks back on before walking to the girls cabin, slipping into her bed before gently drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next day seemed as if it sped by for the group. All of the kids were given their own pokémon to take care of, and they were given the whole day to bond with them. Bonnie was given a Mudkip, and she couldn't have been happier. She and Dedenne played with the Mudkip all day long. Many of the children decided that they wanted to battle instead, and some of the braver ones even challenged Ash to a battle. Of course Ash won every single one, but it gave him some excellent training time for his newer pokémon. Froakie and Fletchling were both getting much better at battling, and Riolu was always a powerhouse, often winning his battles in a matter of seconds. Ash had really spent a lot of time training his pokémon in between days of travel, and the progress had really shown. As for Clemont, he was busy running here and there doing behind the scenes work for Professor Sycamore around the center.

Currently, all of the counselors and Ash were sitting alone in the lounge of the center. Sycamore walked through the doors, a large backpack resting on his back, and sat on the couch next to Ash. He smiled and asked, "So, how was everyone's first day?"

"It was a lot of fun, I'm sure the kids are enjoying it." Shauna said.

"Seems that way, what other stuff do we have planned for the next couple of days?" Trevor chimed in.

"Well that's what I'm coming to you guys for. For our last day I wanted a little scavenger hunt for the kids to do."

"Sounds like a good idea. Is that what the bag is for?" Ash asked as he pointed at the pack on Sycamore's back.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Sycamore flipped the bag around and unzipped the large pocket and pulled out a small metal stake with a red flag on the end. "This is what they're gonna search for. I'm gonna send two of you out tomorrow to go place these around the forest. The kids will team up to search for them, and the team that finds the most wins."

"That sounds cool. How many flags do you have in there?" Serena asked.

"Fifty plus a special golden one."

"What does the golden flag do?" Serena asked again.

"Well, I was thinking it would be equal to finding five flags."

Ash nodded, "That's a great idea. Pikachu and I can go plant the flags around. I kinda want to give my pokémon some rest after all the battling today. What do you say, buddy?"

Pikachu looked up at his trainer and nodded, saying, "Pika pi."

"Well good, who wants to go with him?"

Shauna prodded Serena forward. When Serena didn't budge, Shauna scoffed and said, "Serena will do it. Right, Serena?"

Serena's face flushed and she said, "Yeah, sure I'll help Ash, Professor."

Sycamore smiled, "Good. Here's the bag. You guys can leave tomorrow after lunch, just be back by sundown." He handed the bag to Ash and stood up. He straightened his pants and said, "I'll see the rest of you tomorrow then," before he left the room.

Ash was the next to get up and he looked at Serena and asked, "So tomorrow then, Serena."

Serena nodded, attempting to hide the blush on her face, "Yeah, tomorrow."

After Ash had left Shauna elbowed Serena lightly and said, "I got you, girl. You and Ash are gonna be alone all day tomorrow. It's pretty exciting no?"

"Yeah, sure. It's exciting."

"Oh c'mon, it won't be that bad," Shauna said with a smile.

* * *

"Well, you ready to get going?" Ash asked as he shouldered the bag of flags.

"Ready whenever you are." Serena replied.

"Then let's go. If we go fast enough, we can finish by sundown."

The two trainers, along with Pikachu, headed out into the forest just east of the camp. It was a very hot day, and the tree cover cooled the ground level to a very nice room temperature. This let Ash and Serena work fast, and they planted the flags in concentric semi-circles around the camp. They would place each flag on top of a hill, in a field, or in the lower branches of a large tree, but Ash still held on to the golden flag. To him, there was just no place good enough for it yet. It took them about six hours to plant all of the regular flags, leaving just the one.

"You better figure out where you're gonna plant that flag, Ash. If we go any longer, we won't get back to camp by sundown." Serena said in between gasps of air. They had been walking non-stop for the entire day, and she was beginning to feel very exhausted.

"Yeah, but I just want to find the right spot. You know?"

"Oh, alright." Serena sighed. She followed behind Ash, dragging her tired feet across the dry dirt. They were nearly five miles away from the camp at this point, and she didn't know how much farther she could go. It was then that she caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of her eye. It piqued her curiosity, and she began to walk towards the white to get a better look. What she saw gave her new energy, and she turned around to Ash and said, "Wait, I found the perfect place, Ash. C'mon let's go."

Ash turned around to see Serena sprinting off into the trees, and he laughed and said, "Wait up, Serena. Wait for me," as he began to run off after her. What had her so excited? He didn't know, but he was beginning to catch up.

Serena's skirt was getting caught up in the underbrush, and it made it harder for her to run, until she came across a small clearing...and a cliff. She managed to stop just in time to not fall over the edge, until the rocks under her feet dislodged, and Serena slipped down the steep incline. Ash reached out and grabbed her hand, but the momentum from her fall pulled him with her, and they both began to roll down the cliff. They fell down into a gully about thirty feet deep, lying face down next to a small stream running down towards the ocean. Serena was the first to get up, and she looked at the prone Ash and asked, "Ash, Ash are you okay?"

Ash grunted and looked up. "Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

Serena stood up and dusted herself off, "I'm good."

"That's good," Ash said as he picked her fallen hat off the ground and dusted it off before handing it to Serena. He also attempted to stand up, but he quickly crumbled against the ground, clutching his ankle in intense pain.

Serena kneeled next to Ash and asked, "Ash, what happened?"

"Argh, it's my ankle. I think I twisted it coming down."

"Oh man. Here, let me help you." Serena said as she grabbed Ash's arm and helped him up, sitting him down against a nearby rock.

"It's fine. Wait, where's Pikachu. Pikachu?" Ash shouted out.

Pikachu peered at them from over the cliff and responded, "Pika pi!"

"Pikachu, go back to camp and tell someone we're down here and need help. Can you do that, buddy?"

Pikachu nodded and turned around, running off into the forest, back towards the summer camp.

"Well that helps with that. Pikachu will get them for us." Ash said.

"What about your other pokémon, can't Froakie, Gabite, Fletchling, Riolu, or Bayleef help us?"

"No, I left them back at the camp. I thought they could use a rest. What about your pokémon?"

"They're at the center with the other leaders' pokémon."

"Well, we're stuck here for a while, especially with that storm coming in." Ash pointed towards a large, dark cloud looming over the horizon, streaks of lightning crackling on the surface. The storm would be upon them in less than an hour, and, with Ash's ankle, they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

"I'm so sorry, Ash. I didn't mean for this to happen." Serena said.

Ash shook his head, "It was just an accident. Let's just see if we can find some cover from the storm. We might be here all night."

Serena gasped, "All night?"

"Yeah, that storm looks bad, they won't send a rescue party until after it's over."

Ash tried to stand up, but keeled over again, prompting Serena to rush to his aid. "Ash, don't hurt yourself more. Let me help you," she said.

Ash sighed and nodded. He draped his arm over Serena's shoulder and used her as a crutch so that he could walk. They walked a small distance at a very slow pace up the gulley, stopping only at a large waterfall falling down the edge of a jutting precipice. Due to the shape of the cliff, the waterfall acted as a door to a large cave opening.

"There we go. That's gonna be perfect, provided you don't mind getting a little wet?" Ash said with a smile.

Serena sighed, "Better a little now than being out in the cold all night, right?"

Ash patted Serena on the shoulder,"Atta girl. C'mon, help me get there."

Serena nodded and draped Ash's arm over her shoulder once more. He weighed more than he looked, but Serena didn't mind. The fact that she was this close to Ash would have made her blush, if it wasn't that he was using her to walk. As they approached the waterfall, Serena began to feel the cold mist hit her face as the water struck the ground and flew up into the air. They stopped right before the wall of falling water, and Serena asked, "You ready."

Ash nodded, "It's only water."

"Alright. 3. 2. 1. Go."

They both walked into the waterfall, letting the cold waters plunge onto their head and shoulders. Serena shrieked and said, "Aww man, it's so cold."

"Hoo hoo, it gets the blood pumping, that's for sure."

The inside of the cave was extremely dark, the only light that entered came from the light filtering through the waterfall. Serena set Ash down on one of the rocks in the cave and said, "So now what?"

"We get a fire going, no doubt you're cold from the water too."

Serena shivered, "Yeah, but how are we gonna do that? We don't have Fennekin or Clemont to start it."

Ash opened up his pack and pulled out a small canister and a box of matches. "Here we go. Now all we need is some tinder and extra fuel."

"I could try to find some firewood."

"No, I've got a pack of charcoal and some extra cloth in my bag, we'll be good."

"Good." Serena sat down on a rock across from Ash and tried to wring out her hair. She sighed and said, "Ash, I'm terribly sorry I had to put you through this."

"Serena, honestly it's fine. I'm fine."

"No, you hurt your ankle because of me. I am so stupid."

Ash shook his head, "No, you're not. Don't put yourself down like that."

"Hmph, you're right. Can I at least help with the swelling?" Serena asked as she pulled out a handkerchief and ran it in the cold water of the falls. She knelt in front of Ash and said. "Honestly, it's the least I could do."

Ash sighed and nodded, "Sure. It would help."

Serena smiled and pulled off Ash's shoe and sock. She rolled up his pants enough to place the piece of cloth against Ash's ankle. Ash winced at the cold handkerchief and said, "So, tell me. What did you see before that you had to go off running like that?"

"Well, it was a meadow. A meadow of white daisies."

"Daisies? Really?" Ash smirked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Hmm. Reminds me of our summer camp."

Serena smiled at Ash, "Yeah, it does doesn't it?"

Ash grinned back and looked out into space, diving deep into his own memories. Serena continued her thought, "Even then, you still knew that you wanted to be a pokémon master. You haven't changed a bit."

Ash chuckled, "Yeah, I'm still that same kid from 9 years ago."

"Same hair too," Serena joked.

"Hehe. Yeah."

"I hope that this is not stopping you from training for that goal."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this whole summer camp seems like it's taking away your time from getting badges and catching pokémon. Isn't this just a waste of time for you?"

Ash shook his head, "No, of course not. Being a master isn't all about battling and badges. Nothing I do in my travels is pointless, in my opinion."

"Even this? Us sitting in a cave, our clothes soaking wet?"

"Yes, even this. Everything I do is to get me one step closer to my dream."

"Well then you definitely have everything together, Ash. That's what makes you so amazing."

"What?" Ash asked.

Serena blushed and hid her face from Ash, "Hehe, nothing! Let me get you some more water."

Serena pulled the rag off of Ash's foot and dipped it in the waterfall again before placing it against Ash's foot. She looked up at Ash and said, "You have a very clear dream, Ash."

"What's gotten into you lately, Serena? You've been acting kinda weird the past couple of days." Ash asked.

Serena looked inquisitively at Ash and responded, "Well, at times I wonder what is my dream. What is it that I want to do?"

"Serena, there's no reason to rush into anything. All you need is to take your time and wait. Trust me, it'll find you. Do you remember that conversation we had on the last day of summer camp?"

Serena nodded, "How could I forget?"

* * *

_The campers were all busy filing into the buses to head back to the city. Serena grabbed her bag from her bed and headed out of the door. Standing just outside, sitting on a nearby bench, was Ash. He smiled and stood up, saying, "Hey, Serena."_

_Serena smiled back, "Hey, Ash."_

_Ash looked down, "So I guess this is goodbye?" he asked._

_"What do you mean, aren't you going on the bus too?"_

_Ash shook his head, "No, my house isn't too far away, my mom was just gonna pick me up."_

_"Well, then goodbye I guess." Serena said, her eyes beginning to tear up._

_"Hey don't cry, come here." Ash wrapped his arms around Serena in an attempt to console her, but he only succeeded in making her cry more. He smiled at her and reached into his pocket. From his pocket, he pulled out a small white flower, a daisy, and handed it to Serena._

_Serena took the daisy in her hand and said, "Wow, Ash. Is this from that meadow?"_

_"Yeah. I'm giving it to you so you don't forget."_

_"Forget what, Ash?" Serena asked, still sniffing._

_"That ten years from now, we will meet at that spot again. Over the next ten years, we will grow as people. I'll become a pokémon master, and you will…"_

_"Find something to do?" she interrupted._

_"Yeah. I'm giving this daisy to you, not because this is the end of our fun, but because this is the first step in something bigger. It's a promise that every night from now on, we will make another step towards achieving our dreams. Okay?"_

_Serena smiled, "Yeah, okay."_

_"Then, when we look on the TV and see each other on the news, we'll say, 'that was my best friend in the whole world, and I'm gonna see them again soon'."_

_"Hehe. Yeah."_

_"You promise me?"_

_Serena wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded, "Yeah, Ash, I promise you."_

_"Don't forget, Serena."_

_She giggled, "Goodbye, Ash. See you in ten years?"_

_"See you in ten years."_

_They shared one last hug before Serena left, stepping up onto the bus before finding herself a seat among the other children. She stared out the window, her hands placed on the glass, and watched Ash waving to her as the bus sped off towards Viridian City._

* * *

"Like I said, it was the beginning of a new time for the both of us."

"Yeah. You were pretty philosophical for an eight year old."

Ash laughed, "I had my moments."

"Thanks, Ash. I've just been traveling with you, Bonnie, and Clemont for a while now, and I want something for me. I don't want to be a burden on you."

"A burden? You could never be a burden. Trust me, Serena, you'll find something very soon, something that you will follow with a burning passion. Just believe in yourself and your friends and everything will fall into place."

"You're right. Thanks, Ash."

"Now, let's get that fire started so we can get some food in our bellies."

Serena giggled again, "You don't have to tell me twice."

* * *

Pikachu ran through the doors of the pokémon center and jumped up onto the desk, right in front of Professor Sycamore. Sycamore smiled and asked, "Pikachu, how nice to see you. Where're Ash and Serena?"

The Mouse Pokémon frantically moved his hands and kept saying, "Pika pi, pika pika Pikachu!"

Sycamore shook his head, "Sorry, Pikachu, I can't understand you. Are you trying to say that something happened to them."

Pikachu nodded and began to act out what happened, pretending to fall and roll to the ground, clutching his ankle. He hoped Sycamore understood him.

"So you're saying they fell somewhere, and one of them hurt their ankle?" Sycamore guessed.

Pikachu nodded again and said, "Pika pi, pi pika pika."

"That's awful. We need to help them as soon as we can. But that storm outside is about to hit, and it would be dangerous for us to try and find them tonight."

Sycamore could see that the pokémon was heartbroken by this and it tried to plead, "Pika, pika pi pika!"

"I'm sorry, Pikachu. I have a bunch of young campers that need to be safe as well. They'll be fine, I promise. We'll go look for them in the morning."

Pikachu shook his head and shouted, "Pika!" pointing towards the door.

"You're gonna go back out there?" Sycamore asked.

Pikachu nodded, "Pika pi, Pikachu."

"Well, I can't stop you. But I can do this." Sycamore pulled out a small device from his pocket and tied it around Pikachu's neck. "It's a tracking device. Go find Ash and Serena, this device will help us find you guys tomorrow."

Pikachu nodded and sprinted out the door, leaving Sycamore alone in the foyer of the center. He nodded to himself and whispered, "Be safe, all of you."

Pikachu sprinted through the trees as fast as he could, weaving around obstacles as he continued to charge forward. Ash needed his help, and he would stop at nothing until he was finally with his best friend, his partner. The clouds shook and thundered, creating large streaks of lightning that danced through the sky. That was when the first drops of rain began to fall. It started slowly, at first only a dribble of water, but it soon became a torrential downpour. The ground began to slick up as the dirt mixed with the bailing buckets of water. Pikachu slipped and fell a couple of times, but he quickly picked himself up and continued to run towards the gulley where Ash and Serena fell. His bright, yellow fur was a mix of browns and blacks now, and it clumped together as it soaked in all of the collected water.

When he arrived at the gulley, it was merely more than a giant mudslide running down the face, collecting in a large pool at the bottom. Pikachu took a deep breath and jumped into the muddy water. He rode the water down to the bottom and looked around. Ash and Serena weren't around, they most likely had tried to find cover from the storm. Pikachu ran up the gulley a small ways and found a large waterfall running down a cliff face. Behind the waterfall was a flickering light...a fire! Pikachu ran forward and jumped through the waterfall.

Pikachu's mass sent a spray of water out in all directions, striking Ash and Serena as they talked. Serena shrieked and yelled out, "Augh! Pikachu, that's cold."

Ash chuckled, "Hey, buddy, you're back."

Pikachu smiled and reared back, preparing to jump into Ash's hands, but Ash shook his head, "Not until you clean yourself off a bit there, Pikachu. I'll wait."

Pikachu groaned and stepped back into the waterfall. He made sure to clean off every little bit of mud and dirt, showing his shiny coat of yellow fur again. He gestured to Ash and asked, "Pika, pika pi?"

Ash pulled out a small towel and said, "Yes, now is fine."

Pikachu smiled and jumped into his trainer's arms, snuggling into the towel and drying off himself. Ash laughed and said, "I'm glad you came all this way for us, Pikachu."

"Yeah, me too. Thank you so much, Pikachu," Serena added.

"What's that around your neck, Pikachu?" Ash asked

Pikachu pulled the tracker off and handed it to Ash, who looked at it for a moment and said, "It's a waterproof tracker. Sycamore must have planted it on Pikachu so they would know where we were."

"Seems like a good idea to me."

"Thanks, buddy. You're a real big help." Ash said as he began to scratch Pikachu under his chin.

"How's the ankle feeling, Ash?" Serena asked.

"It's better now, thanks to you."

"Good. Ash, you should really get some rest, it'll help heal your ankle."

Ash nodded, "Yeah, you're right. It's best to be rested for when the rescue team shows up, right?" He slid off of the rock and laid down on his makeshift sleeping bag, him and Pikachu both quickly succumbing to the clutches of deep sleep.

Serena watched Ash and Pikachu sleep for a few minutes, as the light slowly faded due to the dying embers of the once roaring fire. Serena smiled and said, "Thanks, Ash," before laying down and falling asleep as well.

* * *

"Hey, Ash, wake up."

Ash was startled awake by the vision of Clemont's bespectacled face. Ash smiled and said, "Morning, Clemont. How's the weather?"

"Hah, it's clear now," Clemont replied.

"Mmmh. Good."

Clemont held out a hand to Ash, "Here, let me help you up."

"No, Clemont, I'll do it." Ash turned his head to see Serena standing next to the blond teen. She was staring at Ash with those big, blue eyes of hers, her face bearing a massive grin. Sitting on her shoulder was Pikachu, who waved at his trainer as his eyes fell upon the Mouse Pokémon. "C'mon sleepyhead, let's get going," Serena said.

"Right. Help me up," Ash said as he took her hand. He struggled to stand upright, his ankle was still extremely sore. He used Serena's arm to help him move, and they slowly made their way outside. Clemont and the rescue team had an umbrella for them to use, so that they wouldn't get wet while moving through the waterfall. Waiting for them outside was an entire party of people including Ash and Serena's pokémon. They all ran forward to greet their trainer, lead by the stampeding Bayleef, who pushed Serena to the side and grabbed Ash's arm to help him instead.

Serena pouted, this pokémon really didn't want Serena to be anywhere near her trainer. All she could do was smile though, what was she gonna do? Fight a pokémon?

Sycamore walked up and patted Ash on the shoulder, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, just a little banged up."

The pokémon professor chuckled and said, "I told you to just plant the flags didn't I?"

Ash grinned, "Oh we did, all except for one." He pulled out the golden flag from the pack and said, "We were gonna plant it up in the daisy field, but we hit a little snag in our plans."

"Well, we can place it on the side closest to camp, what about that?" Sycamore asked.

Ash nodded, "Seems like a good idea to me. What about you, Serena?"

"Yeah, that can work, I guess," she replied.

"I guess?" Sycamore asked.

"Well you see, I really wanted it in that daisy field up on the opposite side of the cliff."

"That can work. The gulley only continues for a couple hundred feet downstream. We can station a team along the perimeter, just so the campers don't fall down as well. I'll have one of my people put it up there."

"No!" Serena interrupted, "No, I'll do it."

"Okay, let's just go down to the end of the gulley and loop back around."

Serena shook her head, "No, I'm gonna climb the cliff."

Sycamore raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure? It wouldn't be that hard."

Serena turned her head to look at Ash and said, "Yeah, I'm sure. I need to do this."

The professor sighed and turned around, "Alright. Get her a harness and some rope."

Once Serena was sufficiently equipped to climb, she approached the wall leading up to the daisy meadow. The cliff face was extremely rocky, it gave her a decent path up the face. Even though there was a huge storm the night before, the cliff was still dry. It was angled slightly inward, and the falling rain could barely hit it. That would definitely make the climb harder for her. She sighed, now was not the time to talk, she had to do it. The rescue team had stationed a guy up on the top of the cliff, and he had driven a stake into the hard rock, looping a line of rope into it. The man used the rope to rappel down to the ground, one end of the rope tied into a carabiner clipped on his harness. He clipped the other end of the rope onto Serena's own harness, as a safety measure. Serena placed her hands on the rocks and began her climb. It was slow at first, until she got into the rhythm. She kept climbing, alternating between hand and foot placement, until her foot slipped on a polished rock. Serena felt a rush of adrenaline kick into her body, and her grip held tight._ I can do this. Like Ash said, everything happens for a reason. I can do this_. She planted her foot hard against the wall and continued climbing, until she reached the top. Serena grabbed the wet grass and pulled as hard as she could, until her entire body was safely on the ground.

Serena panted, _I did it, I set my mind to it, and I did it._ She peered over the edge and gave a thumbs up. "I did it guys," she said in between deep breaths.

Ash gave her a thumbs up and yelled back, "Great job, Serena. We'll meet you down at the end of the gulley."

Serena smiled and picked herself off of the ground. She pulled the golden flag out of her harness and unclipped the rope that tied her to the cliff. She walked into the field of daisies and planted the flag into the soft ground. She smiled and whispered to herself, "A single step. This is a single step." She picked one of the daisies and started walking down the canyon, toward her friends, her partners, and Ash.

* * *

"Come on, come on, let's get going. Ash has a badge to win." Bonnie yelled as she ran down the path.

"Bonnie wait up. You're always rushing everywhere." Clemont replied.

Ash laughed and said, "Both of you wait up, I'm still a little sore."

"Alright, alright. I'll wait up." Bonnie said. She stopped and waited for Ash to slowly walk down the hill, Serena standing close for aid if the need arose.

Clemont let Ash catch up and asked, "So what did you do after we picked you up yesterday, Ash?"

"Not much, actually, just rested the ankle the whole day. Bonnie I'm sorry I couldn't watch you win the scavenger hunt. I heard you found the golden flag."

"Yeah, it was planted in a patch of beautiful flowers. It was definitely a great place to put it, Serena."

"Thanks, Bonnie. I'm glad that you found it," Serena said.

"Yeah. Man, that camp was so fun, and that Mudkip was so cute. Not as cute as Dedenne though. Right?"

Dedenne popped out of Bonnie's pouch and said, "De de nene."

Bonnie pet the Antenna Pokémon on the head, "Nobody is as cute as you."

Ash laughed, "You'll be a great trainer, Bonnie."

"I'll say, that Mudkip was heartbroken that you had to leave," Serena added.

"Serena!" A voice yelled from behind them.

Serena turned around to see where the voice was coming from, and she saw Shauna standing at the top of the hill. Serena smiled and said, "Shauna, what are you doing out here?"

Shauna ran down to the group and took a deep breath before saying, "I'm glad I caught you guys. Serena, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" Serena asked.

"Well, there's this event happening in a couple weeks over by Shalour City. It's called a Pokémon Showcase. The Kalos Queen, Aria, is gonna be there to do a performance."

"Wow, cool. But, what is a Pokémon Showcase, exactly?"

"Oh, it's this cool new thing that all the girls are getting into. It's how Aria got her fame. The contestants are supposed to do a cool performance for a large crowd of people, and then they get judged. I was gonna see one of the big professional ones before I start with the amateur contests myself. Do you want to go with me?"

"That sounds like fun, Serena. You should do it." Ash said.

Serena thought deeply for a minute and said, "Yeah, that actually sounds awesome. I'll meet you there?"

"Yeah, I'll send you the details."

"Thanks Shauna."

"No problem." Shauna turned to Ash and said, "Ash, good luck on your gym battle. Hopefully Serena won't pull you down another cliff on the way there."

"Hey!" Serena yelled.

Ash laughed, "Haha. Thanks Shauna. See you in a couple weeks, huh?"

"Yeah. See you later Bonnie!"

"Bye, Miss Shauna." Bonnie waved.

Shauna waved back and ran off back up the hill. The group watched her run off, until the incline of the hill blocked her line of sight. Ash turned to Serena and said, "What did I tell you, it'll come to you. Maybe this'll be another step towards your dream."

Serena reached into her pocket and pulled out the daisy from the day before and handed it to Ash saying, "Come on, Ash, every day is a new step."

Ash stared at the flower in his hand and smiled. He lowered his cap a little to hide the tears forming in his eyes, and said, "Well, onward to Shalour City."

* * *

**There it is, another chapter. Did you guess that Bayleef would show up again?**

**I was initially planning on making the summer camp a two or three chapter thing, but then I decided to make it all one big one with a bunch of time skips. I just wanted to remove all of the dumb fluff that I was planning and just get to the meat of the chapter. This chapter begins a long journey for Serena, and we see some more interesting backstory between her and Ash. **

**Now, next chapter will have the gym battle between Ash and Korrina. I chose to do this so that I could put more emphasis on a Hawlucha capture and Fletching evolution in the future. There is also a Serena capture coming soon, one that's not Pancham. Look forward to it. Then there's the poll I had last year, and trust me, that pokémon will be caught soon as well.**

**So thank you everyone for a great year of awesomeness. It's been over a 100,000 word and 200 follower journey, but we're not even close to done. That being said, I'm instituting an optional 100K survey to help my story keep improving. I have four questions that I will ask, and I will post each one on my profile for a week each. The first one is up so you can go answer it now, it will only make my story better in the long run. Thank you to everyone for over 200 follows, and here's to 200 more.**


	13. Chapter 13: Shalour City Showdown

**Hello, all, I am back rather quickly with another chapter of the lamely named "Adventures in Kalos" (sorry, I didn't think hard enough on making an intriguing title). Honestly, I feel that a good number of the chapters I have made are lamely written as well, but I'm not going to go back to them to try and rectify the situation, partially because I'm lazy and partially because I want to use it to see just how far my writing has come since last January.  
**

**Now, enough about my thoughts on my own writing because you fine people are ready for another gym battle, and this one sure is a doozy.**

**Chapter 13: Shalour City Showdown**

* * *

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ash. Your pokémon are all in tip top shape and ready for battle."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy."

The nurse set down a tray containing Ash's Poké balls and a smiling Pikachu. Pikachu jumped onto his trainer's shoulder as Ash clipped each ball onto his belt. Ash turned around to his traveling companions and asked, "Alright, are you guys ready for me to win another gym badge?"

Bonnie flew out of her chair and said, "Yeah I am, you're gonna kick Korrina's butt."

"You'll win this for sure, Ash." Serena added.

Clemont pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and asked, "Not to be a downer here, Ash, but what's your strategy for this upcoming battle? We saw how strong Korrina and her Lucario are, and no doubt they got stronger after they found that mega stone. How are you gonna fight a Mega Lucario and win? Which pokémon are you gonna use?"

Ash grinned, "I don't need to make up a strategy for this battle, Clemont. I'll just let my pokémon decide for me on this one."

"What does that mean?"

Ash beckoned his friends to follow him, "C'mon, I'll show you."

The Kanto trainer led them to the field behind the pokémon center and released all of his pokémon from their capsules. The pokémon all huddled around Ash diligently listening to what their trainer had to say. Ash paced back and forth in deep thought before asking, "Today, my friends, we will be battling against the strong, fighting-type team of the Shalour gym leader, Korrina. We know for a fact that she will have a Lucario that can mega evolve. Her pokémon will be fast, and they will hit hard. I will need three of you to join me in defeating her, who's with me?"

Bayleef stepped forward and nodded silently. Ash chuckled, "I knew you would be first up, Bayleef. Let's do this together."

The next to step forward was Fletchling, who chirped at Ash and flapped his wings. "Alright, Fletchling. You're gonna have a huge type advantage, but don't think that gives you the upper hand. We'll need to work together to win."

Riolu stepped forward as well and said through his Aura, "_Master, I will fight Korrina's Lucario."_

"That's brave of you, Riolu, but that Lucario will be incredibly strong. Are you sure you're up for the challenge of defeating the mega evolution of your evolved form?"

Riolu nodded, "_Master, you and I both know that I am one of the strongest of my species to have ever lived, due to the Aura bond that you and I share. Team Rocket made me their slave, and I became an excellent battler, using all of the skill and power that my body possesses to win. I will beat this Lucario, if you will let me fight."_

Ash smiled, "Of course, Riolu. We'll beat Lucario together." He turned to his other pokémon and said, "I'm sorry, Pikachu, Gabite, and Froakie, but it's only a 3 on 3 battle. Are you alright with that?"

The remaining pokémon nodded in understanding.

"Good. Everyone, return." Ash recalled all of his pokémon into their individual balls and clipped them on his belt once more. This left Pikachu alone, and the Mouse Pokémon stared at Ash with a large grin on his face.

"Wow, I've never seen that before, Ash." Clemont said.

Ash nodded, "Clemont, it's not all about a pokémon trusting the decisions of its trainer. It works both ways, a trainer must trust their pokémon to make the right decision as well. If there is no mutual trust between pokémon and trainer, then they are not an effective team. I trust that they will get the job done, and they trust that I will make the right decisions during a battle. My decision was to have them choose who would battle. As you could see, there was no fighting amongst my pokémon as to who would make up my team in the battle, because they knew who would be the best in this scenario. Bayleef is one of my most experienced pokémon, and her typing helps with defeating fighting type pokémon. Fletchling wants to prove that a big punch comes in a small package. He has the heart, and all of my pokémon want to see him succeed. As for Riolu, well he is my most recent pokémon capture, and he'll be one of the strongest pokémon I've ever had. All of my other pokémon know this, and we all want to see him win in what seems to be an underdog battle. This battle will be a true test of their strength and willpower."

"That's a very interesting way of seeing your pokémon, Ash. I'm a bit impressed by your skill as a trainer."

"To be honest, I'm just like the conductor of an orchestra. The real magic happens on the battlefield. Now c'mon, let's go win a gym badge."

* * *

Shalour City, like Cyllage City, was built on the cliff faces overlooking a wide, semicircular harbor. Though, unlike the Cyllage gym on the top of a mountain, Shalour's gym was extremely close to the waterfront. The gym had a back patio that extended out over a steep precipice just twenty feet above the water. To the right of the gym was a long tendril of land extending out from the beach, acting as a bridge towards a small island not far from the coast. The island was surrounded by a tall wall made of massive stone bricks. At the center of the island was a massive citadel extending high into the sky, surrounded by a trio of smaller guard towers.

"Wow, all these buildings look so old, even ancient." Serena said.

"They are," Clemont replied, his face dug into the travel book in his hands. "Shalour City was originally a stronghold of the Osismied tribe thousands of years ago. From what this is saying, the Tower of Mastery, that tower, was originally the citadel of the city. People were only able to enter the fort by the small land bridge that connected it to the mainland. The bridge wasn't permanent though, and it disappeared into the ocean during high tide. It was only made permanent during the Siege of Shalour two thousand years ago. Apparently, the siege was broken by the mega evolution of a Lucario, the first mega evolution ever."

"Whoa, cool." Ash commented.

Clemont continued, "To this day, the people of Shalour hold the Tower of Mastery in high esteem. It's become their most famous tourist attraction."

"We'll have to see it, after I win my badge. What do you say, guys?" Ash said, a look of determination on his face as he moved to pull open the doors into the gym.

"Not so fast, Ash," a familiar voice said from behind the group.

Ash turned around and saw Korrina standing behind them with a wide grin on her face. "Korrina! How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Ash. I hope you've been training hard for our battle."

"Oh, I have. I'll defeat you and your Mega Lucario. C'mon, let's get this match started as soon as possible."

Korrina shook her head, "As excited as I am for the battle, we can't start just yet, Ash."

"What, why not?" Ash stuttered.

"Well, Grandpa wanted to see you. He said it was about your mega stones."

"Oh, yeah. I completely forgot about them. Are they ready for me to take?"

Korrina nodded, "Yep, and might I say, they look great."

"Well, let's go see him then. The sooner we talk to him, the sooner I can win my badge."

Korrina snickered, "You're a bit confident, aren't you?"

"If I may ask, where is Gurkinn anyway?" Serena interrupted.

"Over in the Tower of Mastery, he's currently working as the curator there." Korrina pointed to the massive tower on the island.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go." Ash said as he began to walk down the coastline toward the tower.

* * *

The inside of the tower was incredibly spacious and drab, except for the massive stone sculpture of a Mega Lucario in the center. A wooden, spiral staircase ran around the perimeter of the atrium, leading off into different corridors and rooms around the tower. The staircase wrapped up to the spire, about fifteen stories above the ground floor.

"Whoa, this place is huge. So where do we find Gurkinn, Korrina?" Ash asked.

Korrina pointed up and smiled, "He'll meet us at the top."

Clemont shrieked, his mouth agape with shock, "At the top? But that's gotta be almost two hundred feet!"

Korrina giggled, "Yep, Grandpa really likes the view up there."

Clemont gave an exasperated sigh and said, "Can't I just wait down here, Ash?"

Serena nodded, "I agree with Clemont, I don't really want to climb all those stairs."

"C'mon, don't be such babies!" Bonnie yelled, stomping her foot loudly against the marble tiles under her feet. "We're going up with Ash, and that's final. Both of you, start marching up those stairs right now!"

"Fine. Let's go, Clemont," Serena said as she began to ascend the stairs one by one, hanging her head in shame.

Clemont sighed again, "Alright, I'm coming."

Ash chuckled and bumped fists with Bonnie before following closely behind Serena and Clemont.

The long climb took the group some time, but it was all worth the wait. From the top of the tower, the could see the entire city and beyond. Standing at the edge of a long patio, leaning against the protective parapet, was Gurkinn, and he turned around to see the group approach. He smiled and said, "Oh, Ash. Just the man I wanted to see."

"Yeah, Korrina told me that you had my mega stones ready."

Gurkinn nodded, "Of course, they're right here. I had my friend plant them in socketed jewelry just for you." He reached into a small bag and pulled out a group of items. He selected a thick, gray bracelet from the pile and handed it to Ash. "Here, put this on."

Ash slipped the bracelet onto his right wrist. Socketed into it was the multi-colored key stone that Ash found weeks ago. Ash tapped it a couple times and said, "Wow, this is cool. What do I do with it?"

"Well, the key stone is given to the trainer so that he or she can activate mega evolution with their pokémon. That's where this comes in handy." Gurkinn handed Ash a deep blue, metal bracer. Inserted into it was one of the mega stones, with the blue and red helix at the center. "This one is for Lucario, when Riolu eventually evolves."

Ash inspected the bracer inside and out and said, "This is excellent craftsmanship."

"Yes, my friend in Geosenge makes these pieces for a living. It's a family business that's been handed down for generations," Gurkinn replied as he reached into his bag once more. "Now, here's the other stone," he said as he lifted up a large plate of engraved metal with the orange and red mega stone in the center.

"That thing is huge. What pokémon is that stone for anyway?" Ash asked.

"This gorget contains Charizardite Y, It's meant for a Charizard to wear around its neck."

"Charizard?"

"Yes. You do have a Charizard, don't you?" Gurkinn asked.

"Yeah, he's back home," Ash said.

"Be sure to put it around his neck the next time you use him. A mega evolving Charizard is a real strong pokémon to have."

"I will, Gurkinn. Thank you. How can I ever repay you for this?"

"There is no need. In fact, I think I'm repaying you for all the good that you've done, and the good that you're bound to do in the future. Now, don't you two have a gym battle to fight?"

"Oh yeah, that's right," Ash turned around to look at the gym leader and asked her, "What do you say, Korrina?"

Korrina smiled, "Let's do it. I'll meet you at the gym."

Ash stuck the gorget and bracer in his pack and said, "Right. Let's go, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont. I've got a badge to win."

Clemont shrugged, "We just came up the stairs, might as well go back down them."

Ash chuckled,"That's the spirit."

* * *

By the time they reached the front entrance of the gym, the sun had almost set in the sky.

All of the street lamps around town had flickered on, bathing the town in a meager amount of artificial light. If Ash wasn't preparing for a serious battle, he would almost prefer looking at the shops and stores that littered the streets of Shalour City.

The Shalour gym was made in the same architectural style as the Tower of Mastery, leading the group to believe that it had been made around the same time. The building was only two or three stories in height, but it made up for it in its length. The facade was made entirely out of the same stone brick as the tower, and there was nary a window around the entire perimeter. Ash opened the front door and walked into the gym. The inside was as bleak and dreary as the outside, containing a simple, dirt battlefield at the center, only slightly illuminated by a couple of lamps hanging from the ceiling. At the edge of the battlefield, the walls sloped upwards, stopping fifteen feet above the ground level, creating a large, bowl-like arena. Wrapping around the lip of the bowl was a small spectator area carrying a few rows of metal bleachers .

Clemont and Bonnie walked up the steps to the stands, leaving Ash and Serena alone, standing on the dirt field. Serena gave Ash a slight smile and said, "Good luck. I'll be rooting for you, Ash."

"Thanks, Serena. Do you mind taking Pikachu for the match?"

"Yeah, sure. C'mon Pikachu."

Serena waited for the Mouse Pokémon to jump up onto her shoulder before she finally followed Bonnie and Clemont up to the bleachers. They all waited for a few minutes before the door behind Ash swung open. Ash turned around to see Korrina standing in the doorway, a pair of rollerskates strapped onto her feet. She began to skate forward, hanging on the ramp at the edges of the battlefield. She did a full loop around the field before stopping in her own trainer box at the end opposite Ash. Korrina bent over and untied her skates before pulling them off her feet, setting them down on the ground next to her.

"So, Ash, are you ready to battle?" Korrina asked.

Ash nodded, "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good, let's get started. Grandpa?"

Gurkinn appeared from a door behind her and made his way to the side of the arena. He stopped at the center line and announced, "This will be an official gym battle between the Shalour gym leader, Korrina, and the challenger, Ash. Each trainer will have three pokémon to use. The challenger is allowed to make substitutions during the battle, the leader is not. Trainers, please release your first pokémon."

Ash pulled out a Poké ball and took a deep breath, "Right, here we go. Let's do this, Fletchling." He threw the red and white ball out onto the field, releasing the Tiny Robin Pokémon out onto the battlefield. Fletchling stretched out his wings and took off, making a full lap around the battlefield before hovering in the air in front of Ash.

"Good choice, Ash. Let me show you my pokémon. Go Mienfoo."

Korrina's Poké ball opened to reveal the red and yellow Martial Arts Pokémon. Mienfoo made a couple of kicks in the air and readied itself to fight, eyeing Fletchling with a cold, calculating stare.

Ash grinned and commanded, "Alright, Fletchling, let's get this started. Use Peck!"

Fletchling climbed high into the air and divebombed onto Mienfoo, brandishing his razor-sharp beak. Mienfoo watched patiently as Fletchling came closer, still gaining speed in his descent. Once Fletchling was close enough, Mienfoo slid to the left, completely dodging the attack. Fletchling hastily pulled himself up from his dive, leveling off just above the ground. Mienfoo tried to make a jab at Fletchling as he passed by, but the Tiny Robin Pokémon was moving far too quickly for the counter-attack to land.

"Your Fletchling is really quick, Ash. Any other pokémon would have taken the full brunt of Mienfoo's counter-attack. But this has just started. Mienfoo, give it a High Jump Kick."

Mienfoo rushed forward and used its powerful legs to leap high up into the air, stopping right in front of the airborne Fletchling. Fletchling shrieked in confusion as Mienfoo reared a powerful kick.

Ash was quick on his reaction though, and he yelled, "Fletchling, Double Team now!"

Fletchling disappeared before Mienfoo could strike, reappearing in multiple spots around the pokémon's head. Mienfoo gasped and went falling back down to the ground, still spinning from the missed attack. It couldn't right itself in time, and it struck the ground on its stomach, taking a lot of damage from the fall.

Ash pumped his fist, "Now, Razor Wind, Fletchling."

Fletchling's wings began to glow a bright white as he began to flap intensely fast. Scores of small white energy particles began to rain down from his wings, acting as tiny white bullets that barrelled toward the stunned Mienfoo. Mienfoo tried to dodge, but it couldn't after the hefty fall it took. Fletchling's attack struck Mienfoo square in the back. After the attack, Mienfoo slowly pulled itself up off of the ground, obviously winded, but not ready to give up yet.

"You're good, Ash, but not good enough. Mienfoo, jump up again."

"Double team, Fletchling," Ash reacted.

Mienfoo jumped up once more, coming eye to eye with Fletchling before the flying pokémon created more shadow clones of itself, an illusion caused by the speed at which it was flying.

"It's a good trick, Ash, but we've got some of our own. Mienfoo, use Swift."

Mienfoo began to spin, sending out star-shaped projectiles in all directions, hitting Fletchling and each of his clones. Fletchling began to fall from the sky, stunned by the attack.

"Great, Mienfoo. Now use Drain Punch."

Mienfoo closed its hand into a fist as it began to fall down after Fletchling. Its fist began to glow a deep green color as it fell. As Fletchling hit the ground, so too did Mienfoo, and the Martial Arts Pokémon slammed its glowing fist into Fletchling's chest. As Mienfoo struck Fletchling, the green glow began to envelop the Tiny Robin Pokémon, sucking away his energy before it retreated and transferred back into Mienfoo's body.

* * *

"Clemont, what did Mienfoo just do. How did it hit Fletchling in Double Team?" Bonnie asked, tugging at the sleeve of her older brother's jumper.

"It was all a product of the move Swift. That attack strikes its target every time, unless the target uses a protective move like Protect or Detect. The damage inflicted on Fletchling gave Korrina enough time to make a single move, and Drain Punch worked in evening out the playing field once more."

Bonnie clenched her teeth together, "So how is Fletchling going to win?"

"I don't know if he can. I don't think Fletchling is strong or fast enough to stop Mienfoo. Ash really has his work cut out for him."

* * *

_I've gotta figure something out, especially now that I know that Mienfoo can use Swift. Ah, that's it. _"Alright Fletchling, use Peck once more but fly fast and low to the ground."

Fletchling did as he was ordered, and flew extremely close to the ground at Mienfoo, flapping his wings quickly to gain speed.

"Stop Fletchling, Mienfoo. Use Swift."

"Fletchling, use Steel Wing and begin to spin. Hit the ground with your wings as hard as you can."

Fletchling's wings began to glow once more as it began to roll in air, it's steel-hard wings acting as a saw blade ripping into the ground. The chunks of rock and dirt lifted into the air made a shield for Fletchling, colliding with the speedy star-shaped projectiles from Mienfoo, leaving Fletchling completely unscathed as it continued to fly forward.

"Mienfoo, dig in and use Reversal, quick!" Korrina yelled.

Mienfoo dug its feet into the ground and readied itself for Fletchling's spinning attack. Fletchling struck Mienfoo hard, but his mass was completely stopped once he hit Mienfoo. Ash gasped, he knew what was about to happen. Mienfoo grinned and gave a strong punch to Fletchling, sending him flying back towards his trainer. Fletchling fell to the ground and struggled to get back up on his feet, but he quickly collapsed under his own weight.

Gurkinn waited for a moment to see if Fletchling would get back up again before announcing, "Fletchling is unable to battle. This round goes to Korrina and Mienfoo."

Ash ran up to his pokémon and cradled him in his arms. Fletchling stared back at his trainer, his eyes wide with pure exhaustion. Ash pulled out his Poké ball and said, "You did great out there, Fletchling. Take a nice long rest, okay?"

Fletchling nodded weakly as Ash recalled him into his ball.

* * *

"Clemont, what did Korrina just do to Fletchling?" Serena asked.

"It's a move called Reversal. The attack by Fletchling made Mienfoo really weak, and Reversal gains more power based on how tired the pokémon is."

"Jeez, now Ash is down a pokémon, what will he do?" Bonnie pleaded.

Serena pat the girl on the head and said,"Don't worry, Bonnie. Ash will think of something. He'll never give up."

Bonnie beamed impishly at Serena, and giggled,"Yeah, you're right. That's just one of the many things you like, no love, about him. Right?"

Serena sighed, "Just watch the match, Bonnie."

"Hee hee, you didn't deny it!"

* * *

Korrina chuckled and asked, "So, Ash, who's your next pokémon going to be?"

"You'll see." Ash pulled out another Poké ball from his pocket and threw it out to the field, yelling, "Go, Bayleef!"

The Leaf Pokémon stomped on the ground and snorted, fired up and ready for battle.

"This will be a battle between Korrina's Mienfoo and Ash's Bayleef. You may begin."

Ash grinned and exclaimed, "Bayleef, use Razor Leaf."

Bayleef grunted and shot a volley of sharp leaves out of the large leaf on top of her head. Mienfoo began to dodge the leaves, using all of its strength to prevent the blades from striking it.

"While it's occupied, use Vine Whip."

Bayleef fired a line of vines out from the buds on her neck. The attack was extremely fast, and caught Mienfoo completely off guard, thrusting Mienfoo off of its feet and smacking it into the back wall, cracking the stone bricks. Mienfoo couldn't lift a finger, it was done.

"Mienfoo is unable to battle, this round goes to Ash and Bayleef."

Bayleef smirked, a weakened pokémon was hardly a challenge, she wanted something fresh, something stronger. She snorted at Korrina as the gym leader recalled Mienfoo and pulled out another Poké ball.

"Machoke, let's go!" Korrina shouted as she threw her own ball out onto the field. The Superpower Pokémon appeared in front of Korrina, flexing its gray muscles. Its basic shape was that of a really muscular human, except for the reptilian shape of its head. A golden belt was tied around its waist, just above the black "briefs" on its pelvic section, acting as a regulator for Machoke's immense strength. Machoke stared angrily at Bayleef and flexed once more, expanding the lines of red markings along its biceps. Bayleef returned the look and smirked, this would be an excellent battle.

Gurkinn held up his hands and announced, "This will be a battle between Korrina's Machoke and Ash's Bayleef. You may begin."

"Start this with Power-up Punch, Machoke."

Machoke rushed forward at Bayleef, reeling its torso back to prepare for a massive punch. Bayleef waited for Machoke to get close before shooting out a pair of vines to trip up the human-shaped pokémon. Bayleef then jumped up and slammed her feet down onto Machoke's back, forcing it back against the ground.

"Get Bayleef off of you, Machoke, use Karate Chop."

"Great, Bayleef. Use Razor Leaf."

Machoke planted its legs against the ground and pushed up, launching Bayleef and itself into the air. It flipped itself over and attempted to swipe at Bayleef with a flat hand, but Bayleef shot a cluster of leaves at it before the attack connected. Machoke couldn't attack again as it was caught defending its body as it fell back to the ground. Machoke rolled backwards toward Korrina and shook its arms out, stretching its muscles out for the battle ahead.

"Now, use a Low Sweep, Machoke."

"Vine Whip again, Bayleef."

Machoke sprinted at Bayleef again, waiting for the inevitable attack from Bayleef. As Bayleef extended her vines out once more, Machoke juked to the side and continued forward, using one of its arms to sweep at Bayleef's legs. Bayleef was caught off guard, and the attack lifted her up off of the ground. Machoke grabbed Bayleef around the belly and began to spin around.

"Seismic Toss, Machoke," Korrina ordered.

Ash gasped and yelled out, "Sweet Scent, Bayleef. Get out of Machoke's grip."

Bayleef released an aroma from the leaf on her head, one that calmed Machoke, who's grip began to slacken around Bayleef. Machoke grunted and jumped up high into the air with Bayleef clutched in its arms.

Ash gasped and said, "Bayleef, use Body Slam. Try to get above Machoke before you hit the ground."

Bayleef used the slack that Machoke gave her to wriggle around, altering their flight in midair. The two pokémon began to spin around in their struggle, both attempting to gain the upper hand of the situation. They continued to spin faster and faster, neither allowing themselves to fall below the grasp of the other, until they hit the ground with a sharp crack. Both pokémon landed on their side, the force of the impact sliding them across the field away from each other. Bayleef stood up and shook her head, feeling a wave of pain surge through her side. Standing in front of her was a beaten and battered Machoke, breathing heavily from the grapple.

Ash peered at Bayleef from over Machoke's massive shoulders and commanded, "Take Down, Bayleef!"

"Machoke, use Karate Chop," Korrina responded.

Both pokémon charged forward, readying their respective attacks. They collided in the center of the field, Machoke flipping over Bayleef as the Take Down hit its mark. Bayleef tripped and fell down in front of Ash, heaving heavily from the attack.

"You've trained your Bayleef really well, Ash. She's been trading punch for punch with Machoke, but it's now time to end this." Korrina said, her hand curling up into a fist.

Ash smiled, "We've still got some tricks up our sleeve. Use Sunny Day, Bayleef."

Bayleef let out a massive roar that echoed throughout the room. The lines of lights at the ceiling began to grow bright, easily tripling the ambient light raining down onto the field. The previously dark room looked like it was illuminated by massive floodlights.

* * *

"What did Ash just do, Clemont? Why did he make the room so bright?" Serena asked, her hands positioned on her forehead to shield her eyes from the harsh light.

"It's Ash's endgame. Bayleef must know Solarbeam, and Ash wants to make it easier for her to get the light she needs to charge the ability. The inside of this building has no access to direct sunlight, and charging a Solarbeam before would have taken ages. At least now, he's made it so that he can use the ability in good time. Though I don't know how he'll stop the counter-attack from Machoke."

"Here I was thinking I wouldn't need sunglasses to see the fight. Let's go Ash and Bayleef!" Bonnie cheered.

* * *

Ash beamed at Bonnie before turning back to Korrina and Machoke. _Hopefully Bayleef will end this battle with a single Solarbeam, but what can I do about Machoke. She doesn't have enough strength to hold out against serious attacks before Solarbeam charges._

Bayleef turned back to Ash and nodded. Ash grinned widely, _that answers that._ "Alright, Bayleef, use Solarbeam," he yelled.

Bayleef reeled back and expanded the massive leaf on her head, letting it soak in all the light that she could. The leaf began to turn black, in order to efficiently collect light faster.

"Stop Bayleef, Machoke. Use Cross Chop."

Machoke readied its arms in an X-shape and ran at Bayleef. It thought that Bayleef was helpless, and positioned itself to allow the attack to do the most damage possible, but Bayleef was far from defenseless.

"Now, Bayleef, use Vine Whip," Ash commanded.

Bayleef roared and tripped up the unsuspecting Machoke using a pair of thick vines from her body. As Machoke fell to the ground, Bayleef lifted it up with the vines and threw it as far as she could back towards Korrina. Machoke swiftly picked itself back up and charged again, preparing for another attack.

"Wha...how can Bayleef do that?" Bonnie asked.

"I've never seen a pokémon charge Solarbeam and use an attack at the same time. Bayleef must be extremely strong in order to pull off such a move," Clemont responded.

"Wow! This is so cool! Ash is bound to win now!" Bonnie said as she leaned up against the railing, her eyes wide with excitement.

Bayleef threw Machoke back once more before Korrina said, "Machoke, stop! You won't be able to get close. We'll just have to use Focus Blast. Wait to fire until Bayleef uses Solarbeam."

Machoke nodded and stood still, cupping its hands against a ball of expanding yellow-white energy that appeared before it. Both pokémon stared angrily at each other while they charged their respective attacks, creating an eerie silence that fell heavily on the arena. The light began to dim back to normal as Bayleef sucked all of the excess in, until Bayleef snorted and planted her feet.

"Now, use Solarbeam!" Ash yelled.

Bayleef roared once more before opening her mouth and launching a thick beam of bright white energy at Machoke, who launched its own attack at Bayleef. The two attacks barreled toward each other, but they didn't collide. Instead, they glanced off of the other and continued forward. The attacks struck Machoke and Bayleef at the same time, igniting the air around them and creating a massive explosion in the center of the arena. Once the smoke had cleared, both Bayleef and Machoke were laying on the ground, neither able to get up.

"Both Bayleef and Machoke are unable to battle, this round is a draw."

* * *

Clemont made a nervous chuckle and said, "Whoa, that was crazy."

"Yeah, but now we've got the real battle. Here comes Lucario." Serena responded, clasping her hands together. She felt a bead of sweat drip down her forehead and swatted it away. This battle was getting her way too nervous, but she just couldn't stop watching, and she yelled out, "You got this, Ash!"

* * *

Ash turned to look at Serena and waved. She was visibly nervous by what was to come, and her face was covered in bright sparkles of sweat. This battle was taking more of a toll on her than it was on his pokémon. She really wanted him to win badly, and he would give her what she wanted. He pulled out his deep red Cherish ball and asked Korrina, "Should you go first, or should I?"

"You already know my next pokémon, Ash. Let's see who you want to fight Lucario," she responded.

Ash nodded and silently threw out his ball, releasing Riolu out onto the field.

"Riolu it is then. Let's go, Lucario." Korrina said, throwing her own Poké ball out onto the field. Lucario appeared from the ball and stared at Riolu, not moving an inch as it scanned Riolu's Aura. It scoffed and crossed its arms.

Riolu glanced back at Lucario with a cold hard stare. He wasn't afraid of Lucario nor his mega evolution. He was ready for anything that Korrina could throw at him, and so was his master. He turned around to Ash and said, "_Master, are you ready?"_

Ash sighed and said, "As long as you are, Riolu."

Riolu smirked, "_We have something that Lucario and Korrina don't. We can feel each other in battle. Concentrate hard, clear your mind, and you'll see."_

Ash nodded and took a deep breath, allowing his every thought to melt away. It was empty and quiet, until he felt a soft pressure on the edge of his mind, like a nail on the shell of an egg. He allowed the pressure in, and it released a flood of information along with a voice that said, "_Master, can you hear me?"_

"_Yes, yes I can, Riolu."_

"_Good, good. Through this connection we can communicate thoughts and emotions. Your commands will be my commands, and my actions will be yours. We are one and the same, we are synchronized through Aura."_

"_Then, let's do this. Let's beat Lucario and get our badge."_

"_Let's."_

Riolu and Ash entered an aggressive stance, making completely synchronized movements as they prepared for battle.

Gurkinn nodded at both Ash and Korrina and yelled out, "This will be a battle between Korrina's Lucario and Ash's Riolu. The winner of this round will determine the winner of the official gym match. You may begin."

"_Use Quick Attack._"

Riolu jumped forward at blinding speed, hitting Lucario and backing away before Korrina even knew what happened. Lucario flinched and readied itself once more, growling softly at Riolu as he took his position in front of Ash once more.

"So this is how this battle is gonna be." Korrina whispered to herself. She looked at her opponents and yelled out, "Ash, let me show you the true power of Aura. My Lucario and I have trained together since we were young, and we have bonded as much as any pokémon and trainer ever could. We have unlocked the power that lies within all of us, and we will use it to win this battle. Lucario, mega evolve!"

Lucario roared and began to glow a deep red color. Tendrils of energy extended out from the mega stone strapped to its arm and connected with similar ones that released from Korrina's key stone on her glove. Lucario's shape began to shift and change as the mega evolution took its effect. Once the light covering its body dissipated, in its place stood a taller, more menacing creature. Its cream-colored fur grew immensely around its body, creating a collar around its neck. Its once slender tail was also covered in a thick bush of the cream fur, expanding to three times its original size. The spikes on its hands multiplied and grew longer, and the fur along its fists and forearms were blood red in color. The aura sensitive appendages around its head were longer and more defined, and the tips were the same red color as the fur on its arms. It stared Riolu down with fiery, orange eyes, creating a field of Aura that shockwaved throughout the arena.

"We will show you true power, Ash. Lucario, use Bone Rush!" Korrina yelled.

The pokémon nodded and pounced forward at blinding speed, brandishing a bone staff in one arm. Riolu smirked and sidestepped as Lucario striked, dodging the bone effortlessly as it smashed into the ground, sending a puff of dust flying up into the air. Riolu jumped backwards and took a position in front of Lucario, taunting the mega evolved pokémon. Lucario leapt forward and struck again, only to miss its target once more.

"_Now, Riolu, use Force Palm._"

Riolu dodged another attack from Lucario and dove under its legs, popping up behind the Aura pokémon to deliver a sharp blow of Aura from his palm. The attack forced Lucario off of its feet and launched it face first into the dirt. Lucario flipped forward and turned around, growling deeply at its opponent.

Korrina smiled and said, "You don't lose a beat, Ash. I see you and Riolu can already communicate through your Aura. From what Grandpa has told me, that's a feat that took many Aura Guardians years to learn."

"Well, we're quick learners. We had to find a way to beat you and Lucario." Ash responded.

"Hmm. We'll just see if you _can_ beat us. Lucario, use Aura Sphere."

Lucario set its paws together, a large blue sphere of Aura appearing in the center between the pads of its hands. Lucario wound up and threw the attack at Riolu. The ball of Aura seeked in on the Emanation Pokémon, giving him no time to dodge. Riolu was thrown back by the attack and sent rolling towards Ash. Riolu jumped up on his feet and shook his fur off. He readied himself once more as another Aura sphere smacked right into his chest, forcing him back once more. Riolu dug his feet into the ground as a third attack struck him directly. He slid backward, planting his hand in the ground to stop his backward motion, and stared up at Lucario. He was panting hard from the damage inflicted by the last few attacks, but he wouldn't give up, not yet.

"_Master, we need to think of something. I don't know how many more Aura Spheres I can take._"

"_I know, Riolu. We need to get in close, can you do that?"_

Riolu looked back and nodded.

"Good, u_se Quick Attack."_

Riolu lunged forward as Lucario prepped another Aura Sphere. He ducked under Lucario's arms and pulled the Aura Sphere out of the larger pokémon's hands. Riolu grabbed the ball of energy and thrust it into Lucario's stomach. The ball exploded and sent Lucario flying up high into the air.

"_Force Palm, Riolu."_

Riolu jumped up after Lucario and wound up for a powerful attack, until Korrina shouted out "Close Combat, Lucario!"

Lucario flipped over in mid flight and eyed Riolu angrily before using its Aura to redirect it back down toward Riolu. Riolu's eyes widened at it saw the raw fury that Lucario unleashed at him, and he could only try to defend against Lucario's incredible assault. He managed to find a hole in the relentless attack, and he used that to smack Lucario in the chin using a shockwave of his own Aura. His attack left him defenseless, and Lucario managed to smash its fist into Riolu's torso. Both pokémon fell to the ground, landing hard against the dry dirt of the arena.

Riolu stumbled back onto his feet and shook his head back and forth to stay awake. His opponent was still rather healthy, and it smirked at the smaller pokémon.

"Let's end this battle here, Lucario. Use Power-up Punch!"

"_Counter, Riolu_."

Lucario dashed forward, its hand closed into a fist surrounded by an Aura of glowing red light. The pokémon threw the punch at Riolu, who took the brunt of the attack, but used Lucario's momentum against it, launching it up into the air before kicking it against the back wall, the force completely smashing the stone brick against Lucario's weight. Riolu fell to one knee, and cringed in intense pain.

"_Master, I don't know how much longer I can fight." _Riolu struggled to say.

"_You can do it, Riolu. All we need is one more attack. Do you think you can do that?"_

Riolu nodded, "_Yes. I can."_

"Alright,_ let Lucario get close and use all of your power to give it a Reversal."_

Riolu stood back up onto both feet and watched as Lucario pulled itself out of the hole it carved in the wall. It bared its teeth at Riolu and roared out, its Aura flaring up and igniting the air around it, creating a shroud of deep blue flames around Lucario's shoulders.

"We're fired up and ready. Once more, Close Combat, Lucario!"

Lucario roared once more and rushed at Riolu. Riolu smiled and dashed to the side as Lucario launched its attack. Lucario's reckless lunge left it completely open to attack, and Riolu yelled out loud, a shockwave of Aura expanding from his body as he wound up a massive punch and thrust his fist into Lucario's side. The attack exploded in a ball of blue Aura as it connected, creating a blast of energy so powerful that it cracked the ground beneath the combatants' feet. The blast created a thick screen of smoke and dust that obscured the entire battlefield. It swirled around for a few minutes before finally subsiding enough to see Riolu and Lucario standing at the center of the field. Their eyes were locked in an intense staring contest, and they stood there unmoving until Lucario finally tipped over and fell onto its back. Its mega evolution dissolved away, leaving a normal, exhausted Lucario lying in the center of the field.

"Lucario is unable to battle, Riolu wins. The winner of this battle is the challenger, Ash!"

Ash cheered loudly and ran forward to catch Riolu in his arms before he fell against the ground. "You did it, Riolu. You beat Lucario!" He said enthusiastically.

Riolu nodded, too weak to say more, before collapsing from fatigue.

Ash recalled Riolu back into his ball before saying, "Take a good rest, Riolu. You earned it."

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu yelled as it tackled Ash from behind.

Ash laughed as he picked himself and his partner up off of the ground, "Hey, buddy, did you like the battle?" he asked.

"Pika, pika Pikachu!" Pikachu responded.

Bonnie ran up to Ash and began to say frantically, "Yeah, Ash, that was so cool when Fletchling did that cool spinning attack, and Bayleef did that Solarbeam, and everything exploded, and when Riolu defeated Lucario with that punch, and when…"

"Haha, Bonnie, he gets it, you're excited he won, but please remember to take a breath." Clemont said as he pat Bonnie on the head.

Korrina approached Ash and said, "Bonnie's right, Ash, that was an incredible battle. You really showed me the true power of your pokémon. I don't think I've ever had a match that was that close."

"Well you have my pokémon to thank for that. They've all been working super hard for this moment," Ash responded.

Korrina reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of glass shaped like two fists colliding with each other. She handed the piece to Ash and said, "This is the Rumble Badge, it symbolizes your victory at the Shalour Gym."

Ash looked at the badge in his hand and said, "Thank you, Korrina."

"You're welcome. I'm happy to give this badge to you, and I wish you well in the Kalos League. Do you know which gym you're looking forward to challenging next?"

Ash shook his head as he placed the badge next to his two others, "No, do you have any suggestions?"

Gurkinn approached Ash and said, "I suggest you go to Coumarine City. The gym leader there will sure give you a run for your money."

Serena peered over Ash's shoulder and added, "Yeah, and after Coumarine City, we can go through the badlands to get back to Lumiose."

Bonnie jumped up and down, "Yeah, that would be cool. What do you say, Ash?"

Ash nodded, "Seems like a good idea to me."

Gurkinn clapped his hands together and said, "Splendid. You all can stay the night at the Tower of Mastery with me and Korrina, so you can get some rest for the journey ahead."

"That'd be great. Thank you, Gurkinn." Ash said.

"It's our pleasure. We offer the same to every trainer that beats Korrina in a battle."

Korrina added, "Yeah, we can't make a victorious trainer pay for lodging in our city."

"Getting the prize treatment thanks to Ash once more. Aren't we lucky." Serena joked coyly.

Ash smiled, "It's just a perk of being in my company."

Bonnie laughed and said, "We should make Clemont sleep on the top floor of the tower, he'll have a great time."

"Oh ha ha, Bonnie." Clemont said, rolling his eyes in sarcasm.

* * *

The group followed Gurkinn and Korrina outside of the gym and out into the night air, continuing to joke amongst each other all the way back to the Tower of Mastery. Once there, Gurkinn and Korrina led them to their own separate bedrooms, Ash, Clemont and Pikachu in one and Bonnie and Serena in another.

Ash laid on his bed in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. From the other room, he could hear the constant giggling and quiet conversation of Bonnie and Serena, but he couldn't make out a single word. Over the last couple of months, the two girls had really bonded, becoming more like sisters than anything else. Ash turned to look at Clemont, who was lying face down on his bed, snoring into his pillow. All of his friends had been through so much already, and he only had three badges in Kalos. There was so much left for him to do, and he didn't know what was yet to come. It was exciting and terrifying all at once. He looked down at Pikachu gently sleeping beside him and rubbed the Mouse pokémon gently before carefully lifting himself out of bed. He walked down the hallway past Serena and Bonnie's room and out to a balcony overlooking the city.

Ash leaned against the railing of the balcony and stared out towards Shalour City, watching the waves quietly wash up onto shore before retreating back into the blue void. He stood there for a while, taking in all the sights and sounds in silence. Once the cold night air became too much for him, Ash walked back down the hallway towards his room. As he walked by the girls' room, he heard that Bonnie and Serena were now quiet except for the soft sounds of their slow, tired breathing. He chuckled and walked into his room, standing at the foot of his own bed.

Ash slipped into the bed and pulled the sheets over his body once more. That was when that terrible thought struck his mind again, _what if I put my friends in harm's way. What if they get hurt? _He shook the thought away and closed his eyes. He would never let anything happen to Bonnie, to Clemont, or to Serena, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to happen, something that he could never protect them from. He set a hand on Pikachu's warm fur once more and let the exhaustion kick in, allowing himself to fall into a deep slumber. If there was anything terrible happening soon, he would be ready for it, and he would stop it at any cost, for his friends.

* * *

**So I hope the battle was epic for you guys to read. I really put a lot of effort into the actual battle, though I chose not to spend a very long time writing all of the fluff before and after it, just so I could get this out a lot faster than I have with previous chapters.**

**I hope you are ready for Charizard to make his eventual return, so that we can see some red hot mega evolution. Now that Ash has his mega bracelet, anything is possible. I could make him miraculously find Sceptilite, Garchompite, and other -ites for all of his pokémon, but those will have to wait for their time to be introduced (if they are introduced). You can all look forward to that.**

**Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. You guys and gals really mean a lot to me. Please go and answer the current poll I have up on my profile, it really helps me get better as a writer. I'm deciding to keep each one up for two weeks, just so that everyone can get a chance to voice their opinion.**


	14. Chapter 14: A Performer's Way

**What is this? I'm back?**

**Yes I'm back. I haven't forgotten about this fan fiction, I've thought about it all the time. I just had to push it back to make room for all the extremely important things in my life. I'm sorry that I've left everyone one of you out in the dark for so long. I won't go into really anymore detail than that, you're all here for this story. Sure the next couple of chapters may not be the most exciting or groundbreaking ones on the planet, but they are important for the real meat that I'm setting up in the future. I have spent the last couple of weeks rethinking my entire outline for the story, and I think I have a solid idea of everything that I want to happen in this story from beginning to end (besides just gym battles and performances). Hopefully I will actually get around to writing it in a more timely manner. **

**Chapter 14: A Performer's Way**

* * *

"Where's Shauna? She was supposed to be here by now."  
"Don't worry, Serena. Shauna's probably just running a little late."

Serena began to fidget on the bench she was sitting on, getting increasingly more annoyed as time passed. She stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of her friends, her face beginning to contort in frustration.

Ash smiled and said, "You are really excited for this performance, huh, Serena?"

Serena looked back at Ash and nodded, "Yeah, nothing has ever been so exciting for me in my life. This could be a real career for me, I have to see it. But, I don't have the tickets to get in, Shauna does!"

"It's fine, Serena, I'm sure she'll be…"

"Here!"

The group turned to look at Shauna running down the path towards them, waving her hands high in the air. She stopped in front of Serena and said, "Sorry I'm late, I hope you weren't waiting for too long, Serena."

Serena nervously chuckled and replied sarcastically, "Pssh, no we weren't here for that long, we just got here."

"Well, then let's get going, I have the tickets right here. I was also able to snag three more tickets for Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont so that they could watch too."

"Wow, that's so awesome. Ash, Clemont, are you guys excited?" Bonnie asked, jumping up out of her seat.

Clemont shrugged, "Well it's gonna be kinda interesting, I guess."

Ash draped his hand over Clemont's shoulder and said, "Oh c'mon, Clemont, I bet it's gonna be great."

Bonnie nodded, "Yeah, Clemont, and you'll even get to see a bunch of good looking girls there. Who knows, maybe you'll find your future wife."

He laughed, "Right, that'll be the day."

* * *

The theatre for the performance was packed, with a massive line of people snaking around the keyhole shaped building. It took the group fifteen minutes to get to the front of the line before they entered the building through one of six sets of double doors. The main foyer was even more packed than the queue outside, with numerous people shuffling around looking for the gate leading to their seats. Shauna led the group up to the second floor and out into the theatre itself. The seating made a wide, sloped semicircle around the stage, with two extra balconies stacked on top of the first floor. The majority of the four thousand seats were already filled, and the roar of conversation echoed through the expansive hall. Their seats were on the first balcony, right up against the front railing. Pikachu jumped down off of Ash's shoulder and perched himself on the armrest between Ash and Serena.

Ash sat down in his seat and said to Serena, "Well, we're here now, how excited are you?"

"I'm extremely excited. This place is huge!"

Shauna pat Serena on the shoulder and said, "I'm surprised that you didn't know about Pokémon Showcases before. They're so in right now."

"I know about them. I just never really got around to watching them."

Ash leaned over and asked, "How exactly do these things work, Shauna?"

"Well, Ash, each showcase has two events. The first one is the theme event, where the contestants have to complete a specific task involving fashion, cooking, and trivia, amongst many other events. The winners of the theme events go onto the free performance event, where they compete for votes from the audience. The person who wins the performance section also wins the showcase, and gets one of two things. If they are an amateur like myself, they receive a princess key. Girls who win three princess keys are eligible for the Master Class and become professional Master Class performers. Master Class performers who win special Master Class competitions get a performer medal that they can use to get higher seeds and more notoriety towards the yearly Kalos Queen competition, where the best Master Class performers compete with each other to become the next Kalos Queen, as long as they beat the current queen in a fair, one on one competition."

"So the princess keys are kinda like gym badges then?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, it takes some aspects from the Pokémon League championships, except that the participants never battle."

"Is this a Master Class performance then, Shauna?" Serena asked.  
"Yep, the Kalos Queen competition is in eight months, so the professional performers are busy winning all the medals they can get."

Bonnie lightly punched Ash on the shoulder and interrupted, "Guys, shhh! The showcase is about to start."

The lights dimmed down and everyone in the audience began to cheer loudly as a spotlight illuminated a man on stage in a dark blue suit and matching blue top hat. Along the seams of his suit were lengths of bright LED lights stitched into the fabric, giving the man a quasi-futuristic look to him. Around the man's neck was a large key on a chain, and he carried a staff with a keychain on top as a decorative handle. As the group looked closer, they could see that the keychain was not just decoration, it was a pokémon.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the small pokémon. The robotic female voice responded, "Klefki, the Key Ring Pokémon. This pokémon never lets go of a key that it likes, so people give it the keys to vaults and safes as a way to prevent crime."

The man on the stage held up his arms and announced, with a heavy accent, "Bonjour, monsieurs and madames, and welcome to a great Master Class Pokémon Showcase. These lovely performers will wow you with beauty and elegance only seen here, in the Kalos region. I will be your guide through the action, Monsieur Pierre! Now, all of you at home and here in the audience, please welcome an amazing guest performance from our beautiful Kalos Queen: Aria!"

All of the lights went dark as Pierre walked off of the stage. From off-stage, a small flame danced around, making circles in the air as it moved inward before stopping directly in the center. The flame then was launched up into the air, still twirling, creating a helix of bright fire that fell to the ground and made a spiral around a couple of dark figures. The flames began to grow and intensify, lighting up the shapes to reveal a woman and a two-legged, canine pokémon. A single spotlight donned on the duo. The woman did a pirouette, her red-dyed hair twirling around her body. As the woman finished her spin, she cried out, "Let's be fantastic. Use Psychic, Braixen."

The spiral of flame expanded out, lifting high into the air before bursting into a million tiny embers that fell gently towards the ground, burning out just above the heads of the audience. The woman, Aria, raised her hands up in the air and yelled, "Hello, everyone! I hope you're ready for a great showcase."

The roar of the crowd was her response. Ash turned to see Serena and Shauna both cheering for Aria loudly.

Aria smiled, "Let's kick this off right. Braixen, use Fire Spin."

The Fox Pokémon lifted up her wooden wand, igniting a small flame on the tip. Braixen danced around the stage, using the wand as a fiery paintbrush, its psychic powers keeping the fire floating in the air in front of the pokémon. The pokémon handed the wand to Aria, who danced alongside Braixen, drawing a couple of fiery Butterfree in the air on stage. She jumped to the center of the stage, holding the wand high in the air. Aria held up her spare hand and snapped her fingers. On command, Braixen used its powers to send a plume of flames high into the air from the tip of the wand, the burning Butterfree drawings circling around the stage.

Aria snapped her fingers again, and Braixen jumped next to her, retracting all of the flaming drawings. The Butterfree melded together with the plume of fire , creating a teardrop shaped case around the two performers. The casing began to spin rapidly, expanding out in flowery petals of flame that surrounded the main "bud" concealing Aria and Braixen. After a few seconds, the bud of fire cleaved into five more smaller petals that fell gently around Braixen and Aria. They struck a pose and the flames sliced together, melding into a single plume that burned intensely around the pair.

Serena gasped, it looked like the Kalos Queen was caught in a raging inferno, but she couldn't see her or her Braixen anywhere. The fire went out in an instant, and the stage was completely empty, with no sign of either performer anywhere. The lights went out, leaving the audience in worry and confusion for ten seconds, before a single column of light extended out to the center of the stage, revealing an unscathed Aria and Braixen. Aria smiled and waved at the crowd, saying, "Thank you, everyone! You're all so amazing."

The crowd erupted in applause and cheering. Serena turned to Shauna and asked, "How did she do that?"

Ash nudged Serena and said, "Secret trapdoor, of course."

"Oh, that makes sense. It's still cool though."

Shauna sighed, her eyes glazed over, and said, "It was so beautiful too. I hope that I can be nearly as talented as she is."

They continued to watch as Pierre waltzed on stage and stood next to Aria and Braixen. He clapped his hands a couple times and announced, "Let's all hear it again for the Kalos Queen, Aria."

The crowd erupted into applause once more, the sound dying down after thirty seconds of constant cheering.

Pierre chuckled and said, "Now, let's start this Pokémon Showcase! For our first round, we will give each performer a random prop that they must use in a small performance with one of their pokémon. We will see how well each of these performers can improvise a stellar act using mundane items. Now let's bring out the first three performers."

A trio of women filed in from stage left and took positions behind Pierre. Pierre snapped his fingers and three spotlights illuminated the performers. A couple men rolled on a table with a white blanket covering a mysterious object. Pierre walked up to the table and gripped the blanket tight, saying, "For our first round, these beautiful ladies will have to perform using their skill, grace, and…" Pierre pulled the blanket away revealing nothing underneath, just a simple metal bar drilled into the table to create a false silhouette. Pierre chuckled and said, "A blanket! The performers will need to use a blanket in their performance."

Bonnie groaned, "That joke was almost as bad as the jokes my Daddy tells back home."

Clemont sighed and said, "Even Dad's jokes were better than that."

Pierre waved the blanket above his head and shouted out, "Now, let's see how each of these performers use such a soft, light sheet to make a powerful show. Please welcome to the stage Christina, our first performer!"

The first girl, a tall, thin brunette, walked forward with her pokémon, a dog-shaped pokémon with fluffy clouds of groomed, white fur all over its dark gray body. As the performers began to dance, a single bolt of lightning came down from the racks of lights above the stage. The girl shouted and jumped back before the bolt struck her, releasing the blanket she held in her hands. As the blanket hit the ground, a platform of light blue, glowing rock thrusted upward from the ground, draping the blanket over it like a tablecloth. From stage right, a single pokémon rushed onto the stage, stopping right in front of the pillar of rock. The pokémon was short, with black fur on its body, arms, and ears. The fur on its face was cream in color, and it carried a small leaf in the corner of its mouth. The pokémon smiled and began to dance, using the strength of its upper body to spin its legs above its head. From the rafters above it, another pokémon jumped down onto the pillar, one the group instantly recognized as a Pikachu. The Pikachu began to send out electric shocks in all directions, creating a dazzling display.

"Whoa, who's that pokémon that's dancing with that Pikachu?" Ash asked, pulling out his Pokédex once more.

The device scanned for a few seconds before chiming in, "Pancham, the Playful Pokémon. This pokémon does its best to be taken seriously by its enemies, but its glare is not sufficiently intimidating. It is often seen chewing on a leaf that it takes from its favorite tree."

"Whoa, those two pokémon sure are a cute team," Shauna said, grinning widely.  
Serena nodded and said, "Yeah, and their performance is great." Serena didn't know why, but she was completely hypnotized by the two pokémon. Why did two wild pokémon feel the need to perform for a crowd? She watched the two dance until the stage crew shooed them off the stage and out of the hall. Serena leaned back in her chair and sighed, _I have to see those pokémon again_.

* * *

"Wow, that was so cool! Especially Aria's performance, it was breathtaking." Bonnie exclaimed, jumping up and down wildly.

"Yeah, if only it didn't end early. Those two pokémon were great, but they wrecked everything. I wanted to see the free performances." Shauna replied.

"Eh, it was still pretty great. Thanks for taking us, Shauna." Serena said.

Shauna nodded, "My pleasure. I should really get going though, I've got some stuff to prepare for before I start my foray into pokémon showcases."

"Alright. I'll see you later then, Shauna. Say hi to Tierno and Trevor for me."

Shauna began to run off down the street, only turning back to yell, "I will. Bye guys."

The group waved at Shauna until she turned the corner, out of sight.

Ash turned to the rest of the group and said, "Well, what now? You guys ready to get going?"

Bonnie and Clemont looked at each other before Clemont said, "Yeah. We still have a few hours before nightfall, let's see how far we can get."

Ash nodded and began to walk down the path, followed closely by the brother and sister. They walked for a few feet before turning back to see that Serena had yet to start walking. Ash looked at Serena and asked, "What's wrong, Serena. Aren't you coming?"

Serena nodded weakly and said, "I am… it's just that I can't help but feel a bit...hesitant."

"Why?"

"Well it's those two pokémon. You know, the ones that interrupted the showcase?"

"That Pikachu and Pancham? What about them?"

"Well we never gotta see the whole performance. I really want to see them finish it."  
"I do too, they were pretty great." Ash agreed.

"You might get your wish after all, Serena. Look above you!" Bonnie said, pointing to a spot right above Serena.

Serena looked up to see the two pokémon perched on a street light right above her. They were both staring, wide-eyed at her. Serena smiled at them and said, "Hi, both of you. I really enjoyed your performance."

The two pokémon continued to stare at Serena, both sitting absolutely still while she talked.

"You guys were awesome, but I never got to see the end of your show. Can you guys please show me all of your beautiful performance?"

The pokémon looked at each other briefly before jumping off of the light pole, sprinting away from Serena and the others. Serena called out, "Wait, both of you!" She began to run after the two pokémon.

"Wait, Serena!" Ash yelled, chasing after the girl.

Clemont sighed, "Well. They're gone now. What do we do, Bonnie?"

Bonnie chuckled, "We follow them, of course. C'mon, big brother!" Bonnie followed the same path Ash and Serena took moments ago, closely followed by Clemont, huffing and puffing as he ran.

* * *

The chase led the group out of the town and into the forest. The dense foliage obscured their sightlines, causing Ash to lose track of Serena and the two pokémon. Ash stopped in a small clearing, looking around for Serena and the pokémon she was running after.

"Looks like we got separated from Bonnie, Clemont, and Serena. Where did they go, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

Pikachu sniffed around and shook his head.

"Hmm…" Ash said, scratching his chin.

Ash continued to walk forward, until a bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of him, causing him to fall backwards. The cap on his head launched forward, falling gently to the ground in front of him. The Pikachu from before jumped down from the trees above Ash's head. It twirled around and slammed its tail onto the brim of Ash's hat, launching it up off of the ground and into the Pikachu's mouth. Ash could see that the Pikachu was a female due to its cleft tail, although she had a rare, heart-shaped, black marking on the end, a trait very rare amongst Pikachus. Ash's Pikachu jumped down off of his shoulders, sparks emanating from his bright red cheeks. The female Pikachu smirked and turned around, giving Ash's Pikachu a taunting wagging motion with her tail, and ran off into the forest.

"Hey, wait! That's my hat!" Ash shouted.

Ash's Pikachu chased after the other Pikachu as Ash stumbled back onto his feet, quickly losing the two pokémon.

Ash sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair, "Now I've gotta find Pikachu as well." He began to walk into the forest, following the same path that the two pokémon took.

* * *

"Oh man, where did Ash and Serena go?" Bonnie asked Clemont.

"I don't know, Bonnie. They ran off so fast."

"Humph. Maybe if you could run faster, we wouldn't be lost in the woods alone."

Clemont shrugged and said, "Sorry, Bonnie."

Bonnie sat on a nearby rock and said, "Why do you think Serena went running off after those pokémon anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's because she wants to capture those pokémon. Don't you see the way that she was watching that performance. She might have found something that she wants to do on her journey with the rest of us."

"What do you mean? Isn't she already chasing after Ash?"

"Oh here we go with this again," Clemont scoffed.

"Didn't she go on this journey in the first place to find Ash?"

"Yeah, but I think that she feels very embarrassed by the fact that she's just following around Ash while he accomplishes his goals."

"So you're saying that she wants to find a reason to follow Ash around?"

Clemont shook his head, "No, no, no. It's not like that at all. What I'm trying to say is that she admires Ash immensely, and she wants to follow in his footsteps. She wants to find something for herself that she can work towards while Ash approaches the Kalos League. Ash coming to Kalos was only an excuse for her to get out of her house and out into the world."

"So you're saying that pokémon performing might fill that role for her?"

"And more. She has a natural talent for performing, she just doesn't know it yet."

"You know what, you're right, Clemont. She would do great as a performer."

"And it's our duty as good friends to help her with it, now let's find those two pokémon."

"Well you don't have to look far. One of them is right over there," Bonnie said, pointing at the black and white Pancham sitting on a tree branch right in front of them.

"They do keep sneaking up on us, don't they?" Clemont asked rhetorically. He pushed up his glasses and yelled at the pokémon, "What are you doing up there? Why do you keep running off?"

The Pancham just stared at him with wide eyes before jumping off of the branch on the ground in front of Bonnie and Clemont. It approached the siblings slowly, stopping once it was right in front of them. It smiled and held up its paw at Clemont.

Clemont kneeled down and asked, "Yes, what do you want?"

The pokémon motioned to its outstretched paw. Clemont held up his hand and began to reach for the pokémon, but as he was about to touch its paw with the tip of his fingers, the pokémon slid forward and snatched his glasses. The Pancham then used its powerful legs to kick off of Clemont's chest and ran away into the forest again.

Clemont clutched his chest and curled up into a ball on the ground, saying, "I feel like I'm dying."

"Oh get up, Clemont. We gotta find that Pancham."

"I can't see anymore. Bonnie. Where did it run off to?"

"It went this way, just follow me...or the blur that kinda looks like me," Bonnie said as she ran off after the Pancham.

Clemont reached out and began to stumble forward, smacking his head on a tree branch in front of him, "Oww. Bonnie wait for me, I don't know where I'm going!"

* * *

Serena pushed aside the leaves and branches in front of her as she slogged forward through the underbrush. "Ash, c'mon! I think they're just ahead," she said, turning her head to look for the young trainer behind her, but he wasn't there. Serena stopped and looked around, none of the others were there. She shrugged and said, "I'll find him later. My first priority is finding those pokémon."

She continued forward, paving herself a thin path through the forest. Thorns tugged at her skirt, rustling leaves tangled themselves in her hair, but she kept moving, her mind focused on one goal. Serena only stopped once she cleaved her way into a large clearing, with fresh green grass surrounding a crystal clear pond. Serena gazed at the grandeur before her eyes, only finally realizing how exhausted she actually was. She found a flat mossy rock and took a seat, wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead. For almost five minutes, Serena sat there alone, taking in the intoxicating silence. Thoughts swam through her head, swaying her every which way like a boat in a storm. _Could I become a performer? Could I ever be as good as Aria?_

Serena's thoughts were interrupted by the rustling of bushes nearby, and she watched as the female Pikachu from the showcase jumped out, a familiar hat sitting between her clenched teeth. A few seconds later, Ash's Pikachu jumped out of the same bushes and pounced on the other Pikachu, wrestling the hat from her grasp. The female grinned at Ash's Pikachu and chuckled, confusing him immensely. It was almost like she thought it was a game that the two pokémon were playing. Serena watched as the female danced around Pikachu, picking up Ash's hat and prodding him with it every so often. Serena stood up and walked over to the two Pikachus and asked, "What's going on here? Why do you have Ash's hat?"

The Pikachu turned to Serena and flashed her a wide grin.

Serena laughed, "So you're just playing huh?"

Before the Pikachu could respond, the Pancham jumped out of another set of bushes wearing Clemont's eyeglasses. The Pancham walked up to Serena and grinned at her as well. Serena shook her head and said, "You two know that you shouldn't steal stuff from others, even if it's just a game."

The pokémon just stared blankly at Serena and jumped up on either of her shoulders. Serena looked at either of them and asked, "What are you two doing?"

The Pancham pointed forward, ushering Serena towards the pond. Serena shrugged and said, "Alright… I'm going." She walked with them over to a small knoll, and sat down on it. The knoll was shaped in a semi-circle around a small patch of moss, almost like rows of seats around a theatre. "So you want to show me the rest of your performance?" Serena asked.

The two pokémon nodded before jumping off of Serena's shoulders. Her and Ash's Pikachu watched as the two pokémon held hands, taking their positions in the center of the moss stage. The pokémon were about to start their performance when they were interrupted by cries of "Serena? Pikachu? Where are you?"

Serena turned her head to see a hatless Ash stumble out of the treeline. She stood up and waved at him, "Ash, over here!"

"Serena, there you are. I've been looking all over for you. Pikachu was chasing that other Pikachu. Have you seen them?"

Pikachu poked his head over the knoll and gave a wide smile to his trainer.

"Pikachu, where's the other Pikachu with my hat?"

"Come over here Ash, both that Pikachu and Pancham are here with your hat and Clemont's glasses," Serena said.

Ash walked over to see the two pokémon staring angrily at him from their spot on the makeshift stage. "Why do they look so angry?"

"It's because you ruined their performance. They were just about to show Pikachu and I their beautiful dance. Here, come sit with me." Serena sat down and patted the ground next to her.

Ash sighed, "Only if I can have my hat back."

Serena giggled and asked the other Pikachu, "Could you give Ash's hat back. We just want to watch you perform."

The Pikachu ran up to Ash and plopped the hat down at his feet, giving his Pikachu a wink before running back to her position by the Pancham. Ash grabbed the hat in his hands and placed it back on his head. He smiled at the Pikachu and said, "Thanks. Sorry I interrupted your performance."

The two pokémon took deep breaths and stood at the center of their stage. As soon as they began to move, they were interrupted by another voice, this time Bonnie's.

"C'mon, Clemont, I heard something up ahead."

"Bonnie, wait. I can't see where I'm going. Everything is just a blur of color at this point."

Ash jumped up and yelled out, "Clemont, Bonnie, ist that you?"

"Ash, is that you?" Clemont asked.

Bonnie laughed and pointed, "Of course it is, Clemont. He's right there."

"Oh, I could barely see him without my glasses."

Bonnie scoffed, "Oh we know, you haven't said that like a million times in the past five minutes."

Serena stood up and said, "Clemont your glasses are over here. The Pancham has them."

"Can I have them back then?"

Serena looked at the Pancham. The pokémon shook its head and clutched the glasses tighter. "C'mon, Pancham, here, I'll make a trade for you." Serena reached into her pack and pulled out a pair of red sunglasses and offered them to the pokémon. "Here. I'll give you these if you give me Clemont's glasses, and I'll promise that we will not interrupt your performance anymore. What do you say?"

Pancham looked at the sunglasses for a few moments before handing the glasses back to Serena. He took his new sunglasses and propped them up on his head and smiled.

"Thanks very much, Pancham," Serena said, giving the pokémon a beaming smile.

Serena walked over to Clemont and handed him his glasses. "Come sit with us. We were just about to watch these pokémon perform, and they've been rudely interrupted by us twice now."

Bonnie smiled, "So they are gonna finish their performance for us after all?"

Serena nodded, "Yeah, they just decided to lead us here to show us. Let's let them finish."

The group sat down on the soft grass as the two pokémon began their performance once more. They started in the center of the moss field, holding hands, until they jumped off in either direction. Pancham had a lower arc to his jump, so he landed first. As he landed, he slammed his fists against the ground, causing a pillar of pulsing blue rock to sprout up out of the ground right below the Pikachu. The Pikachu used the pillar's speed to catapult herself further up into the air. As she reached the apex of her jump, she pulled in her tail and began to roll forward, releasing tendrils of electricity in all directions. Her roll sped up on the way down, creating a pinwheel effect with the electricity arcing from her body. As she touched the ground, Pancham jumped right over her, and the Pikachu launched him up into the air.

Pancham looked down at the Pikachu and clasped his hands together before releasing a stream of purple and black spiraling energy, the move Dark Pulse, down at the Pikachu. At the same time, the Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt back up at Pancham. The two attacks met in the center, spreading out in a spinning top shape between the two pokémon. As Pancham fell, the shape began to deform, until it looked more like a funnel above the pokémon. Once Pancham hit the ground, he slammed his fist down, causing another pillar of rock to erupt from the ground, launching both pokémon up into the air together. The pillar also pierced through the funnel of energy that the two pokémon had created, and the funnel popped like a balloon, causing small, harmless sparks to explode out in all directions. The two pokémon landed on the pillar completely still as the last of the sparks fell to the ground.

The group clapped their hands at the beautiful display. "Bravo, both of you," Serena said with a huge grin on her face. The pokémon both made a slight bow and ran up to Serena. The Pikachu made a slight detour and sat in front of Ash's Pikachu making an unintelligible conversation with the pokémon.

"Hmm, looks like you've made a new friend, Pikachu," Ash said.

Both of the Pikachu looked up and replied, "Pikachu," simultaneously.

Serena chuckled "We should really give you a name so that we don't get confused. Shouldn't we Pikachu?"

Both Pikachu gave an affirming nod to Serena.

"Well, my friend Ritchie back in Kanto had a Pikachu named Sparky. What about that?" Ash asked.

Serena shook her head, "No, that's not how I see this Pikachu."

Clemont raised his finger and said, "How about Electroflux. It's a combination of electricity and flux. Make the name something electricity related"

"Hmm, you might be onto something Clemont, but it's just too long. Doesn't really roll off the tongue though."

"Then we call her Lectra." Bonnie said.

"No, that still doesn't sound right."

"Flux then?" Ash asked.

"That's closer. Why don't we take off the 'f'? Let's call her Lux." Serena said.

Clemont scratched his head for a second, "Lux? Sounds like as good a name as any."

Serena looked down at the Pikachu and asked, "What do you think? Does Lux sound good to you?"

The Pikachu nodded.

Serena squatted down in front of Pancham and Lux. She looked between both of the pokémon for a few moments and said, "Well then, I have a proposition for both of you. I loved your performance so much that it inspired me. It made me so happy to see you two, and I want everyone in the world to see you perform. Will you guys help me, so that we can work together to achieve our dreams? Will you join me on my journey?"

The pokémon stared at each other for a few seconds before turning back to Serena and nodding their heads. Serena sniffed lightly, her eyes beginning to water, and she said, "Thank you. Both of you." She pulled out two Pokéballs and held them out in front of her. Pancham raised his hand, reaching forward to press the button on the ball, but instead swatted it away.

Serena gasped, shocked at Pancham's actions and asked, "Why did you do that?"

"Pancham wants you to earn it, Serena. You have to fight them." Ash said.

"Is that true Pancham?" Serena asked.

Pancham nodded.

"Alright then." Serena pocketed the two balls and stood up, pulling out two different ones. "I guess I'll just have to use Fennekin and Butterfree to battle you guys then."

As she was about to release her pokémon, Lux jumped into the air and swatted Butterfree's ball out of Serena's hand. She pointed at Pikachu, giving Serena a pleading look.

"You want Ash and Pikachu to fight, Lux?" Serena asked.

Lux nodded and continued to point at Pikachu.

Serena turned to Ash, "What do you say?"

Ash smiled, "Pikachu and I will never turn down a battle. We're in."

* * *

The sky was beginning to darken, becoming a bright shade of orange as the sun set. A slight breeze rustled the grass in the wide open field where they decided to have the battle. Ash and Serena stood next to each other, eyeing down their opponents on the opposite side. Serena loosened her grip on Fennekin's Poké ball and tossed it onto the field, releasing the Fox Pokémon in a blaze of white light. Fennekin shook her fur out and took a battle ready stance. Ash smiled and said, "We're never one to wait for a battle. C'mon, Pikachu, use Quick Attack."

Pikachu rushed forward, directly at Lux. He attempted to smash right into her, but she easily dodged to the right. Instead of retaliating, Lux however dove onto Pikachu and gave him a big hug with a wide grin.

"What's happening?" Serena asked.

"I don't think Lux wants to fight, I think she just wants to play with Pikachu. She tricked us into battling so she could get closer to Pikachu. I guess this battle is up to you, Serena." Ash responded.

Bonnie laughed, "Looks like someone has a little crush."

Serena sighed, "Well I guess it's just us, Pancham. Fennekin, let's go! Give Pancham an Ember."

Fennekin opened her mouth wide, releasing motes of hot fire at the Playful Pokémon. Pancham easily dodged out of the way and countered with a Stone Edge. The pillars of stone popped out of the ground, each new one getting close and closer to Fennekin. Fennekin tried to dodge out of the way, but the shafts of rock moved too fast for her. It hit her on the underbelly, sending her flying skyward. Pancham readied a Dark Pulse and fired it at the airborne pokémon. The attack hit directly, knocking Fennekin back down to the ground with an audible thump.

"Fennekin, are you alright?" Serena asked with wide eyes. That attack was so surprising, and so devastating.

Fennekin growled softly and slowly lifted herself off of the ground. She shrugged herself off and stared angrily at Pancham.

"Jeez, Fennekin took that crazy attack and still keeps going. I don't think she'll be able to take another one like that," Clemont said.

Ash walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Fennekin knows how important this is for Serena. She won't give up on her trainer."

Serena pursed her lip and said, "We shouldn't take another attack like that. Let's switch it up. Use Scratch."

Fennekin tried to run forward, but ended up stumbling from her injuries and falling on the ground instead. Pancham saw the opportunity, and rushed forward for another attack.

"C'mon, Fennekin, you need to get up and fight. Try another Ember!"

Fennekin raised her head up just enough to let loose another barrage of cinders. Pancham was caught off guard by Fennekin's tenacity and took the attack dead on, tripping to the ground. Fennekin once again pulled herself back up onto her feet, noticeably keeping her weight off of her left hind leg.

Serena grit her teeth and muttered to herself, "I don't think Fennekin will be able to move anywhere fast, not with her sprained leg. I don't know how I can deal with Pancham's powerful moves though." She looked at Fennekin for a second and said, "Alright, Fennekin, we can't use your close ranged moves, so let's go for something a little more long range, use Hidden Power at Pancham's feet, knock him up into the air."

Fennekin charged up a ball of light blue energy and launched it at Pancham's feet. Pancham was launched into the air by the attack. He was unable to right himself mid-air for an attack, leaving him wide open for another Ember from Fennekin. The follow up attack landed, launching Pancham back even further. Much to Serena's dismay, as soon as Pancham hit the ground, he launched another Stone Edge attack at Fennekin. Fennekin watched helplessly as the attack approached her, and she attempted to limp away.

Serena saw the predicament that Fennekin was in, she had to form a plan to save Fennekin as fast as possible. Pancham was no good at defense, but had plenty of offense. If she could get a strong attack off when Pancham least expected it, she could win. The only problem was the attack coming her way. With Fennekin's bad leg, she wouldn't be able to dodge effectively. What if she could cushion the impact? That was it. Serena yelled at Fennekin, "Quick, this may work, Fennekin, roll to the left as fast as you can and shoot a Hidden Power at the ground below you."

Fennekin yelped and used her energy to tip over to the side, allowing her bad leg to buckle beneath her weight. She looked down and fired another sphere of energy at her feet when the pillar burst from the ground. The force of the attack was spread throughout Fennekin's body, due to the defensive move that Serena command her to use. The power of the attack launched Fennekin up without causing incredible damage to the pokémon. Fennekin flipped over in the air, facing a perplexed Pancham.

"Now, give Pancham everything you've got. Give him a full powered Ember attack!" Serena commanded.

The Fox Pokémon opened her mouth and fired a stream of cinders at Pancham. The stream grew stronger over time, until it became a rush of intense fire. The column of flames rushed out at Pancham, catching the pokémon in the center of Fennekin's attack. The flames licked at Pancham's small form for a few seconds before dying down once Fennekin hit the ground. Serena looked at Pancham, who clumped to the ground, exhausted from the battle. She pulled out a new Pokéball and threw it at Pancham.

The red and white ball collided with Pancham and sucked it inside. The ball hit the ground and wiggled furiously for a short time before stopping. It created an audible ding to signify the capture. Serena ran forward and picked up the ball, turning back to her friends to say, "Guys, I did it. I caught Pancham."

"Great job, Serena," Ash said with a smile. "Pancham will be an excellent addition to your team."

Serena gave a beaming smile back, "Yeah, now all we need is for Lux to join him." She pulled out another ball and held it out, saying "Lux, c'mon. Don't you want to go with me?"

The Pikachu stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Serena. She smiled and ran up to the trainer, her big, round, black eyes looking at the ball. She reached out with her hand and poked the white button on the center. A red light enveloped the pokémon and pulled her inside. The device wiggled, once, twice, three times until it stopped. It dinged as well, and Serena placed the ball back on her belt.

Serena laughed, "That's it. I caught a Pancham and a Pikachu."

"Two pokémon in one day. That's pretty good, Serena." Clemont said.

Serena nodded, "With these two, I will be able to make some amazing performances. Maybe I'll even become the Kalos Queen."

"It's a lofty goal, Serena, but I have no doubt in my mind that you'll achieve it. I'm looking forward to seeing you on that bright stage dancing with your pokémon," Ash replied.

"It's gonna be amazing!" Bonnie added.

Clemont nodded, "These are your first steps. You can only grow from here."

Serena smiled, "Thank you, all of you. I know myself and my pokémon will try our best."

Ash held out his hand in front of him, "We're all on the paths to making our dreams a reality with our pokémon. What do you guys say? Let's get onwards to Coumarine City."

One by one, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont placed their hands over Ash's, huddling in a circle around him. They all lifted up their hands and cheered loudly before picking up their bags, heading off back into the forest to find the road to Coumarine. They had a good hour left of traveling, and the group didn't want to waste one minute of it. As they walked, they all looked up to the sky, watching the waning sun as it ducked under the horizon, covering the sky in a blanket of darkness, symbolizing the end to another long day on the group's journey, a day that none of them would ever forget.

* * *

The soft, black leather upholstery of the desk chair crinkled against the man's pressed suit as he sat down, letting out a soft groan as he leaned back into the soft cushions. He had been on his feet all day, and only now did he realize how exhausted his legs were. His companion, a large feline pokémon with a large red jewel embedded into its forehead, rubbed against his legs under the chair before sitting down next the man, cleaning off its cream colored fur with strategic licks from its rough tongue. The man stroked the Persian's head, neck, and back repeatedly, receiving a couple of deep purrs from the pokémon. The room was silent, and the lights were all dimmed low. It was calm and quiet, it gave a person time to think, especially after a long day of work. The man pulled out a glass and a bottle of whiskey. He poured a small stream of the golden brown liquid into the glass, allowing it to fill only a quarter of the cup's volume.

From his pocket, his phone began to whir and vibrate as he took a sip from the glass. He sighed and tapped on the wireless headset in his ear, saying, "Yes. What is it?"

A female voice came through the earpiece, "Giovanni, sir, we have a problem arising."

"Domino, you don't know how many times I hear that in a day. Let's cut to the chase, what has happened?" Giovanni asked.

"It involves our operations in the Kalos region. I'm sending it to your laptop now."

Giovanni pulled himself closer to the desk and flipped open the laptop computer on his desk. He pressed the power button and watched the screen light up. Once his operating system booted up, Giovanni pulled up Domino's files and leaned back. He shrugged and asked, "So, what am I looking at?"

"Open up Agent 227's personal camera."

Giovanni did as Domino said, pulling up the first person video of a man driving a truck. He watched as the truck was lifted off of the ground, rolling end over end before stopping on the side of the road. The lens of the camera was cracked from the crash, but Giovanni could still see the agent force open the driver side door and crawl out of the wreck. The man looked up to see a figure approaching, and Giovanni leaned forward as he witnessed the agent trying to crawl away from the man before he heard a loud click as the agent slumped over. Giovanni closed the feed and leaned back in his chair again, his face twisting and contorting in anger.

"And what about Riolu?" Giovanni asked in a bitter tone.

"Gone, sir. Stolen by the looks of it. Both of his handlers were found dead too."

"And that man who singlehandedly killed two of our best agents, who was he?"

"Our intel guys say that he's Draven Cariveau, a professional hitman who's been a thorn in our sides for years now. They say he's been hired by our 'friends' in Team Flare."

Giovanni's grip on his drink tightened, and he said, "That's the last straw. They've been making strikes on us for far too long. Do they really think that they could steal from Team Rocket? Domino, collect a combat team, your best men. Take them to Kalos, and find my Riolu."

"Yes sir."

"Do we have any free agents operating in Kalos at the moment?"

"Um… Let me check." The phone was silent for a few seconds before Domino said, "Yeah, we have two of them, though it'd be better if we don't use them at all."

"Let me guess…"

"They're Jesse and James."

"They'll just have to do for now. Contact those imbeciles and tell them to search for Cariveau. Get our intel officers working on finding what Team Flare's next big move is. We need to hit them as hard as we can. They have irritated me for far too long, it's time to go to war."

Giovanni hung up the phone and downed the rest of his drink. He stared at the glass in his hand and muttered to himself, "I will squash Team Flare like the bugs they are." He squeezed hard, and the glass shattered in his hand, spilling shards of broken crystal onto the ground, but leaving his hand completely unscathed. Giovanni smirked and walked out of the room, telling his guard detail, "Contact my personal helicopter, we're going to Kalos."

The lead guard nodded and replied, "Right away, sir."

The guards led Giovanni to the helicopter pad, where his personal helicopter was beginning to whir up, its rotor blades twirling faster and faster. Giovanni climbed into his seat and strapped himself into the black, leather seat. He leaned back and shut his eyes, saying to the pilot, "You're free to take off, Commander. Get us to Kalos as soon as possible."

The helicopter slowly lifted off of the ground, and tilted away from the pad, speeding away from the Team Rocket compound and off into the bright blue sky.

* * *

**Before I end this chapter I just want to explain my decisions for each of the characters in this story, because they are all still slightly different from the anime, and some of my design decisions may seem a little out of character or contradictory. So here it is:**

**Ash: Ash is a weird one for me. Unlike the other characters in my story, Ash has a background that everyone has seen over the past decade and a half of the anime. I want to make my Ash a blend of that Ash and a new, more mature version of him. He's starting to age a lot more, he's seen a lot in the past, but he's still childish in his own way. You can see this in his attitude towards battles and pokémon, he can still be a giddy little kid. I don't want him to be a brick wall, and some of my past chapters have not been painting him in the way that I see him. For that I am sorry, and I will change my writing to affect it better in future chapters.**

**Serena: Unlike the Serena in the TV series, I want my Serena to be less one dimensional and more mature for the readers. I want her to vie for Ash's attention a lot more, like someone would act around a crush (or dare I say someone they love). She really wants the best for her friends, taking on a caretaker role if they are ever in need. She has a good heart and a kind soul, but even those can be stretched to their limits.**

**Clemont: Clemont is supposed to be smart. He's this boy genius of Lumiose, but he's still young and has plenty of maturing to do. I want to show his confidence towards engineering and intellectual activities, while also flushing out his shyness in social situations. He's very introverted, but fiercely protective towards the people he cares about the most, especially Bonnie. He looks up to Ash as a mentor, and don't be surprised if a little bit of Ash's attitude rubs off on him as time passes.**

**Bonnie: Bonnie is... well Bonnie. She's always optimistic and happy and she'll do anything to save pokémon. I want to make her act more like an annoying little sister would act towards her brother, but she only wants what she thinks will be the best for him (and vice versa). She's still innocent, and doesn't see the world for how sinister and corrupt it really can be. Time will only tell, especially with Team Rocket coming.**

**Now believe me, I don't want this story to become gloomy and depressing, but I want the characters to face scenarios that will affect them more than the normal anime would allow. Every single one of them has room to grow, and I don't want them to be stereotypes or have less character than wet tissue paper.**

**Another issue that I've seen is my lack of showing everyone's pokémon all the time. While I like the pokémon, I will add them where they are necessary. I'm not just gonna throw in Chespin because I feel like the chapter needs more comedy or more pokémon in it, that makes for a stale progression, and I will not allow it. Each pokémon joining into the chapter will be there because they fill a set purpose. Their appearances will be special, and they will all get their time in the spotlight.**

**Sorry that this end note has been a little long. I just wanted to show all of you that I've been thinking and designing this story to be more than just "Ash goes to Kalos, amourshipping is there". Be hopeful, dear reader, I will continue to write as much as my schedule allows. I also want to take more of an active role in the following that my writing has gathered. If you as a reader would like to hear more from me in the time that it takes for me to release a new chapter, I will answer questions PM'd to me. I can also make a presence on pokémon forum sites to post previews, answer questions, etc. if there is demand for it. I don't want to leave my readers in the dark any longer than they have to be. If you want this, please ask, I don't bite I promise.**

**Thank you all for reading this chapter. I will see you in the next one.**


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